Harvest Moon - Syldra's Tale
by Frostic Queen
Summary: This story follows my character through Harvest Moon A New Beginning. It's a tale about love, betrayal(kinda), heartbreak and learning to love again. It will take a while to complete since I'm going through the game and getting down intros and stuff. Can Syldra operate Kunimi Farm and rescue Echo Town from being wiped off the map? Various Pairings
1. Welcome to Echo Town!

Hey peeps! Here's a fic I bet you never thought I'd never write. This fic tells the story of my character from Harvest Moon A New Beginning. Inspiration for it came when I realised too late I'd given the dating ring to THE WRONG GUY. And getting rid of him is next to impossible. A lot of the script here is directly from the game (I restarted and am writing intro's and such down. Mainly stuff to do with the story.) It won't all just be the drab of the text. Goodness no! In between those bits is my personal style of writing which you've all come to love. Summary should tell you all you need to know. Also, since the game lacks a proper year system, I am writing this as if it was in real life 12 months 3651/4 days. A lot of things that happen in the game (i.e. building a house ON YOUR OWN IN A MATTER OF SECONDS) just would not be possible in real life. So crops will take longer to grow, animals will be shorn/milked when they should be (if cows do give milk daily then that's okay I suppose. But no animals in this chapter. They'll come in the next one.) I shall look up how long it takes for sheep, Llamas, Suffolk Sheep and Alpacas to regrow their wool.

Oh, I should probably also add a key, shouldn't I?

Well here ya go. "Person talk" 'Person think' _"Harvest Sprite talk" _**"Diary entries."**

Happy reading!

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><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

Welcome to Echo Town

Echo Town. This settlement, surrounded by mountains, was once home to many people and full of life. However that golden age is but a memory… This town is now the destination of a capable youngster, who brings with them a heart full of excited determination.

A young woman no older than 19 arrives at a river, her long plum purple hair tied into a ponytail whilst Emerald green eyes sparkle in the light. Her brown skin was light and defined her features. She frolics around for a few minutes until a mysterious man comes along and faints. "Uhhh…help...!" The girl turns around and starts to panic, more so when she hears a voice from someone different. _"Syldra, Syldra. This is terrible! You need to help that person on the ground!" _The girl now known as Syldra, looks for the voice's owner but cannot find them. _"Don't worry about who I am! Quickly, help him!"_ Syldra does as she's told, hurrying to the man's side, giving him some water. Thankfully he starts coming to, filling Syldra with relief. "Take it easy." Syldra soothes, rubbing a soothing circle on the mans' back. "Uhh… where am I?" The man stands up with Syldra's help, feeling much better. However, the man was now confused. "What… happened to me?" "You fainted, sir. Are you okay?" Syldra's voice rang with genuine concern for this old fellow as his legs shook a bit.

The man rubbed his head when he started to remember. "Yes. Ah, now I remember. I was searching for some food and collapsed due to the heat. It looks like I have you to thank for saving me. I appreciate it. I can't say I've seen you in these parts, though." The man pauses, glancing Syldra up and down making her a tad uneasy. "I hope you don't take offense if I've got this wrong, but are you Syldra?" Syldra nods, now feeling a bit shy. The man's face lit up like a light bulb, smiling widely. "Ah, you are! Did your parents tell you about me? My name is Dunhill." "Yes, they did. How did you recognise me? We've never met." Dunhill set a hand on Syldra's shoulder in a caring way and his eyes shone with wisdom. "There's such a strong family resemblance it caught me off guard! It feels like I already know you." Dunhill let out a small laugh and rubbed the back of his grey haired head. "I've known your folks for a long time, Syldra. They sent me a letter saying you were coming to town." Syldra blushed pink, unsure how to feel. "T-They did? What did they say?" "What did they say?" Dunhill laughed again, this time a bit heartier. "Why, only that they were sending me an extremely hard worker, and I should make use of them however I please!" Syldra gets very annoyed at this, her face bulging with rage but Dunhill laughs lightly. "Ha ha ha. I'm joking, don't worry. The town is this way. Follow me." Syldra nervously agrees, following Dunhill into Echo Village. A gentle breeze blows by, easing her worries.

After a ten minute walk, Dunhill and Syldra arrive at Echo Village. Dunhill huffed and puffed to get his breath back. Syldra worried that age was starting to slow Dunhill down, rubbing his back gently. "Here we are. This is Echo Village. The letter from your folks was quite detailed, actually. To celebrate your coming of age, you've taken over the farm land that your ancestors owned here, right?" Syldra nods, surveying the village, noticing how empty it was. "That land was originally going to be taken on by your father to operate the farm." Dunhill started, looking into Syldra's eyes gently so not to frighten her. "But he ended up moving to another town to marry your mother, and so it remained in your family, but unused." "Sounds like my dad alright." Syldra confirms with a nod. "I only learned of the farm recently. What kind of shape is it in?" "Your dad still came to town every now and then to do some basic work on it, rather than completely giving it up. He loved this land very much." Syldra breathed in the air, feeling at peace and rejuvenated. "I can see why. It's very peaceful and relaxing here." Dunhill smiled and clapped Syldra gently on the back. "So he said he's very happy now that you are going to be living here. He also asked me to give you all the help that I can. I'll happily do whatever your parents ask of me. I do have my own things to deal with, of course." Syldra furrowed her eyebrows, a bit confused. "What kinds of things?" "We'll get to that eventually, anyway. First I'd like to thank you for saving me by treating you to a meal! It must have been tough getting out here." Syldra nods, wiping some sweat from her brow. "Come to my house and rest up a little. Let's go." "Okay."

After a couple of minutes, Syldra and Dunhill reach their destination. The house was a bit shabby but liveable. Dunhill looked at the structure with a fair amount of pride. "This is my house. If you need anything you can come here and see me. I'll do whatever is within my power. Now let's go inside and eat." Syldra nods with enthusiasm, following Dunhill inside. Despite the exterior, the cottage was well kept and very pleasant to look at on the inside. A rumbling sound echoed from Syldra's direction and that made her blush deep red. Dunhill couldn't help but laugh at how adorable Syldra could be. "You look famished, girl. Let me get you something to eat. Sit yourself down at the table, I won't be long." Syldra did as she was told and waited patiently. It didn't take Dunhill long to whip up a meal for two. He could hear Syldra's stomach growling from the kitchen. "Here the food is ready! Eat up now, don't be shy!" Syldra didn't hesitate, tucking into the dinner Dunhill had made, feeling much better with a full stomach. After dinner they went outside, Syldra stretching on the way. "I'll show you around the town tomorrow. For today, let's go and look at your new farm. This way." As Syldra and Dunhill head south, they see what looks like someone leaving the village. This stuns Dunhill into stopping. By a horse drawn wagon was a portly man and a boy who looked just like him, their hair light ginger, eyes brown. With them was a brown haired lady wearing an apron and am old woman wearing a straw hat.

It was a sad sight that made Syldra want to cry. She could only guess why the family was leaving. The empty village said enough without needing words to express itself. "Well thanks for everything." Said the stout man, his expression weary. The apron sporting woman took the man's hands in her own, tears welling in her eyes. "Hossan. You really are leaving town?" The man nods, feeling a little regretful. "Everyone here has been so good to us, but there's no point in an inn with no one coming to stay." The elderly lady nods in agreement, her voice a little shaky when she spoke. "Yes…you're right, of course." Hossan now smiled, hoping to try and brighten the mood. "We're going to try running an inn in another town. I don't know if it will work out, but we're going to give it a try. Right, Niko?" Hossan looked to his son who nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. We'll try!" The old lady was now coming to accept Hossan's decision, her expression soft. "I understand… But do say you'll eventually come back, okay? We'll be waiting for you." Hossan and Niko embraced the kindly old lady and she returned the affection. "This is our hometown." Hossan declared, an arm around Niko's shoulder. "We'll be back. We may even make it big in another town and come back rich!" The old lady laughs along with Hossan. "Yes, you may indeed! I hope you'll remember us when that happens!" "Ha ha ha, of course. It's time for us to be going, anyway." "We'll see you off to the exit from town. As this is goodbye for…for a while." The brunette woman was trying hard not to cry. The elderly lady agreed. "Good idea." "Thank you so much. Shall we ladies?" The group moves off and Dunhill finally snaps back into reality, relieving Syldra.

"Oh, sorry about that. I didn't mean to stop for so long." Syldra shakes her head, understanding completely. "Not at all. What was that?" Dunhill heaved a heavy sigh, sadness welling up in his weary eyes. "Those were some of our residents. The lady in the straw hat is Hana, and the one in the white apron is Emma. The father and son standing by the cart are going to be leaving town today." "Oh, that's bad. Sorry Dunhill." Syldra did not know why she was shouldering the blame. Many times she'd found herself crying for others when they themselves would not if stress levels rose too much. "It's not your fault. As you might've figured out by now, we don't have many people living here. You can count them on one hand…" Syldra couldn't find any words to comfort Dunhill as he got worked up. "This town is not without its appeal! It's overflowing with nature and the people are kind and honest. But that alone isn't enough to operate a successful town. The falling number of people means there's no work, and that drives people away. A vicious circle." All this information overwhelms Syldra but she remains calm. Dunhill cools off and looks at her apologetically. "Sorry for hitting you with all this right after you got here." "No, it's okay. I understand it must be hard." "I just don't want to misrepresent what's going on here in town. Let's put troubling talk aside for now and go see the farm. Come on!" Dunhill's enthusiasm reached Syldra as they continued south.

The farm didn't look too bad. Trees dominated quite a bit of space. There were patches to plant seeds for growing crops and a barn to raise animals in. near the house was a watering spot. "Here we are." Exclaimed Dunhill as they stepped further into the farm. "This is the land you have taken on. You may use it however you like. As it belongs to you, why don't you give it a name?" Syldra takes a moment to think, naming the farm after her family, Kunimi Farm. "Oh. Kunimi Farm? That's a fine name. I like it!" Syldra is very happy to hear Dunhill's approval when he turned a little serious. "Still…it hasn't been touched for a number of years, it's pretty wild. After hearing you were coming we all worked together to clean up the house and garden." Syldra feels guilty, silently vowing to repay the people somehow. "The land still needs all these rocks, branches and weeds dealt with though. That's the place to start, I think." "I'll get right to it. You've done enough for me already. It's time I repaid you and the people." Dunhill doesn't argue, watching Syldra as she disposes of rocks, branches and weeds, thinking they might be useful later. She finished half an hour later and returned to Dunhill looking weary. "There now it looks much tidier! You can find and pick up useful items all the time. Make a habit of it. It may not look useful at first glance, but pick it up anyway!" Syldra nods, catching her breath as she spoke. "Alright I will." "Now then let's go inside. You look bushed." With a nod, Syldra and Dunhill go into the house. Luckily for Syldra the house was already furnished. The kitchen contained all the stuff she would need to cook and prepare food, a table surrounded by 2 chairs and a window.

The bedroom was light and roomy filled with a single bed, wardrobe, nightstand and a wall mounted mirror. By the front door were storage chests to keep tools and other things. In all rooms there was a calendar so Syldra could always check the date. In the sitting room was a cabinet, a normal fabric sofa and a lonely coffee table. Underfoot were simple wooden planks. "Finally, let me give you a few gifts. Here's a diary and encyclopaedia. Use them as you will. The encyclopaedia contains info on all the wildlife you'll find. And I'm sure you know what a diary is for." Syldra nods, gleefully accepting the books. Dunhill is happy that Syldra likes the gifts. "You must be exhausted from moving in today, anyway, Syldra. I think that's enough for now." Syldra wearily rubs at her eyes. "Okay." "I'll show you around town tomorrow and formally introduce you to Emma and Hana then too." "Alright...yawn. I look forward to it." "That's it for today. Rest up and be ready for tomorrow, Syldra." Dunhill waves as he leaves, closing the door with a quiet click. Syldra picks up a pen and writes in her new purple diary. **"Feb 1****st**** 09. Moved in to Echo Village. Met Dunhill. He seems nice. I must thank him for feeding me today. Saw some people moving out of town. How sad. I do hope they'll come back someday. Tidied up the farm a bit to show my appreciation to the town people. Tomorrow Dunhill is showing me around town and introducing me to Emma and Hana." **'I'm worn out. Time for bed.' Syldra turned off the lights and fell asleep.

The next morning, Syldra wakes up to banging outside. It's early, around 6am. Annoyed, she goes to see what's going on, finding Dunhill. "Hello, Syldra. Good morning." "What's with all the racket?!" Syldra was far from pleased to be woken so early but Dunhill isn't fazed by her temper. "You heard a strange sound? Oh, sorry about that! I guess I woke you up. It's another one of my jobs. Forgive me." "Jobs?" Dunhill smiles nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I say job…it's more like a hobby. I deliver the letters for the town. I put it in that mailbox there. I put the newspaper in for this week, so take a look later." Syldra nods sleepily, stretching in the morning light. "Okay." "The newspaper is delivered weekly. It has weather forecasts, and useful articles about farm life. You should definitely check it out. Letters come at irregular intervals. They range from store announcements for new products in stock to just a friendly hello from the neighbours so be sure to check daily." Syldra nods tiredly, wiping sleep from her eyes. "Let's head out into town, shall we?" Syldra found it hard to find the same amount of enthusiasm but she tried to play along. "Sure…yawn…let's go." Dunhill and Syldra head into town, immediately finding the ladies from yesterday. The woman in the white apron greeted them first. "Good morning, Dunhill." "Hello Emma, Hana. As I said yesterday, I've brought Syldra here to see you." "Oh, this is Syldra? I'm so happy that someone so young has come to live in our town!" It had been the elderly lady in the straw hat to speak. Dunhill turned to Syldra with intent to introduce her. "Syldra, this is Hana." Syldra smiled shyly, avoiding direct eye contact. "It's nice to meet you, Syldra. My name is Hana. I run the general store. That's the shop over there with the flowers at the entrance."

Hana indicated to said building. It looked decent to live in and of eastern design. "I sell seeds that you can grown on your farm, tools you'll need in your everyday life and recipe stuff. Take a look some time!" Dunhill then turned to the younger woman. "Syldra, this is Emma." Once again Syldra nodded shyly with a small smile. Emma appeared to be the cheerful type. "Hello, Syldra. I'm Emma. I work in shipping. I'll be the one responsible for shipping out the things you grow on your farm. They'll be safe with me!" Syldra was reassured by Emma's warm personality, slightly coming out of her shell. "Well aren't you a dear? No need to be so shy. My house is over there. The brick one with a purple roof and the fence." Said house looked very nice compared to Syldra's. It also had a shipping box outside. "If you send an item, I'll give you the money for it the following morning but don't tire yourself trying to ship lots of stuff. Start small and work from there." "Thank you. I'll…try not to overdo it." Hana looked at the time and realised she had to get home. "Oh, sorry. There's something I have to do today. I need to get home." Emma nodded and spoke up after Hana. "I'm busy too. I'd better get going. It was nice to meet you, Syldra. Dunhill, Syldra, see you later." Dunhill and Syldra nodded at the same time. "Alright." "Bye." Emma and Hana smiled, going their separate ways.

Syldra was happy the introductions were over, feeling her nerves had been put to the test a little too much. But she liked the only two ladies in town beside herself. They were very warm and welcoming. "Right then, Syldra." Said girl reached for the heavens in sheer surprise. Dunhill smiled at having caught Syldra off guard. "Let's continue the tour." Dunhill led Syldra up and to the right of Emma's house where there was a path. "If you head down this way you'll come to the river. It's the place we met yesterday, remember? You can pick herbs, flowers and fruit there." "Got it." "Good. Now follow me." As she was told, Syldra followed Dunhill to an empty house near his home. It was of slight eastern design like Hana's place. There was also a path leading north. "Up ahead are the festival grounds where the town festivals are held." Dunhill released a sad sigh and Syldra knew what that meant. "We don't have many festivals anymore, however. I hope you'll take part if you get a chance. This is an empty house. Someone did live here in the past, but they moved on…" Syldra noticed a hint of sadness in Dunhill's voice but thought it best not to ask. He picked himself up soon enough. "There's no need to dwell on that, anyway. I'm now sure someone will come and live here again someday. Next I'll show you the plaza to the west of here." The plaza was large and made of stone, ideal for a market or two. Again there was a path leading north. "Just ahead from here is the forest. You can get a lot more stuff there than you can by the river. In between the forest and the river you will find the mountain. Take a stroll up there some time." "It sounds fun." "I'm glad you think so. This way, Syldra."

The last building in town was made of brick with a red roof and brick wall. Outside the wall were milk boxes and milk canisters. "That house with the red roof is where the animal dealer lives. Unfortunately he's currently out of town, trying to get new stock. I'll introduce you to him when he gets back." Syldra nods quietly, musing that she probably wouldn't like the man. Dunhill notices the look on Syldra's face and laughs. "Don't worry he won't bite. Well, I think that covers everything in town. Let's finish up by visiting Hana so you can learn how to purchase stuff." 'I don't think that's necessary, but fine.' Grudgingly, Syldra follows Dunhill to the General Store. Hana is surprised to see Syldra so soon. "Well hello Syldra, I wasn't expecting you so soon." "Hello Hana." Dunhill greeted. "I was hoping to teach Syldra how to shop." Hana smiles sweetly. "I can do that if you like." Syldra looks a little panicked and Hana picks up on this. "Don't worry I won't bite." She laughs, and explains to Syldra how the store worked. During the "lesson" Syldra tries not to explode, feeling like she was being treated like a little child. With the tour over, Dunhill and Syldra head back to the farm. "Syldra. Do you have anything else that you need to do today?" "Not really." "Then why not take a stroll in the wilds? You need to eat after all. You can also find critters like insects there that can be sold. Once you're finished with your walk, be sure to get some rest. It isn't good to stay up late! Thank you for today. I'll see you tomorrow, Syldra." "Okay, bye."

Syldra takes a minute to sit down and think about where she could go first. 'So there's the river, mountain and forest. I've already been to the river. Guess I'll start at the forest and work my way around.' Grabbing her bag, Syldra goes for a stroll in the forest and finds many things, some to ship and others to eat. Catching the critters was a little difficult. Syldra had found some bug boxes by her front door and grabbed them. She hated bugs. Well, butterflies and ladybugs were okay. It was mainly the cicadas, locusts and grasshoppers that posed a problem. The edible matter she found ranged from shiitake mushrooms to honeycombs and herbs. Returning home, Syldra cooked herself some supper, setting some stuff aside in case it came in handy, like the honeycombs. Before bed, Syldra filled in her diary once again. **"Feb 2****nd**** 09. Met Emma and Hana today. They are both very kind and have accepted me without a fuss. It seems the idea of younger folk coming to town pleases them. Dunhill showed me around town like he promised. I felt a little degraded when he took me to the General Store to teach me how to buy stuff. I wasn't born yesterday. Most shops work the same. Exploring the wilds was okay. I'll keep track of how much I ship and what it's all worth. I wonder what will happen tomorrow." **Syldra rubbed at her tired eyes, weary from a long day of walking. Crawling into bed with a yawn, Syldra hopes the next day won't be so trying on her nerves. She falls asleep quickly, her dreams filled with hopes for the future of Echo Village. It was a nice place and Syldra hoped others would come to like it.

Early Tuesday morning Syldra was roused from her slumber by Dunhill once again as he called from outside. "Good morning, Syldra, are you up?" Syldra mumbles under her breath about the ungodly hour before mustering a proper reply. "Gimme a sec." Syldra changed into her work clothes as quickly as possible and tides herself up a bit. Stepping outside, Syldra comes face to face with the familiar old man. "What's the big deal, waking me up so early?" "Sorry Syldra, but you need to start waking up early now you're going to be working. Here are some tools and seeds you need to start farming." Dunhill gives Syldra a hoe, sickle, watering can, turnip seeds and potato seeds. You can grow all sorts of stuff here on the farm, not only vegetables, but also fruit, flowers and herbs. There are many varieties, so challenge a wide range! That covers produce. You can set up your own plans for the land and just enjoy growing whatever you like!" Syldra gives a nod, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "…So what exactly am I supposed to be doing?" "What's that? You want to know what exactly you should be doing?" Dunhill glances at Syldra, wondering if anything he'd said had even stuck in Syldra's head. She nods, worrying the elderly man might be a bit angry with her. Truth was, she had a bit of a headache since waking up. And with no painkillers lying around, Syldra had to suffer and ease the headache on her own. Dunhill saw the hints of pain on Syldra's face, deciding to take it easy on the youth.

Syldra's fear is eased when Dunhill laughed heartily but not loudly, keeping her headache in the forefront of his mind, not wanting to cause Syldra any undue pain or suffering. "Ha ha ha. There's no need to think too hard about it. Just do whatever you like, whenever you like. This is your life. Find something you want to do with it and do it!" Syldra found no sense in Dunhill's words, feeling more baffled and this showed clearly on her face, making Dunhill sigh lightly. "If you really want some advice from me, I'd suggest starting by growing produce in your fields for a while. You're here to run the farm, so grow things, ship them out and make some money. Once you've made enough money you'll be able to keep animals on your farm. Then you'll really be farming." Syldra now understands what Dunhill had been trying to say, nodding gently so not to upset her already aching head. "Okay, I'll do my best." "You can also ship out items or bugs that you collect in order to make some money. Use this to make additional cash. I also suggest interacting a little with wild animals. Animals like produce, after all. Try giving them some as feed." With a sigh, Dunhill finished on his advice giving. "That's all the advice I've got for you. I hope it helped!" Syldra nods with some enthusiasm, but not much. Dunhill is happy to see her perking up a bit. "Glad to hear it. Id better be getting on, anyway. Good luck, Syldra." With Dunhill gone, Syldra makes a start on preparing the land. Her muscles ache after tilling the field but she forges ahead, determined not to quit. Before sowing anything, Syldra heads to the General Store. Hana notices right away that Syldra is tired and picks up on her headache too.

The look in Syldra's eyes convinces Hana that she'll be okay. "Hard at work already? Well just don't overdo it, dear. What can I do for you?" Syldra purchases more potato seeds and heads back to the farm. Her first order of business is toe plant the seeds she'd just bought. Having sown her seeds, Syldra takes a breather before going into the wilds to forage again. She found plenty of edible matter and quite a few critters to ship. Syldra returned home feeling bone weary but manages to cook and write in her diary that would soon be her best friend. **"Feb 3****rd**** 09. Today was hard! Dunhill gave me some stuff I needed to start cultivating crops on my farm. Dad never prepared me for this! Sure I've done some pretty hard work in the past, but this is back breaking. Still, I have to hold strong. The villagers are counting on me to bring life back to the town. I should send a letter home soon to let my parents know how I'm doing but I don't know where the nearest post office is. Probably in the next town over. I get the feeling I'll be taking a lot of trips to other towns until this place livens up a bit. Within a month or so, my potatoes should be ready to harvest. Maybe fertilising them will increase the quality of the crop? Hopefully Hana should have some in stock tomorrow." **Syldra closed the diary gently and clambered into her bed, falling asleep quite quickly after all the hard work she'd done.

The next morning, Syldra is visited by Emma. It was a knock that brought the tired young woman out of her musings, quite surprised to see Emma at the door. "Oh…hi Emma. I didn't expect to see you so early." "Good morning, Syldra. May I come in?" Syldra nods and steps aside to let Emma inside. The shipper was chipper as ever this morning. "We're going to be working together a lot from now on, so let me say hello again properly. It's great to meet you, Syldra." "It's great to meet you too." 'I think.' Emma is happy to hear her greeting returned, hugging Syldra briefly. "I didn't get a chance to give you the details on shipping the other day, so I can explain it now if you'd like?" Syldra shook her head to say no, a small smile on her face. "No thanks, Emma. My dad already taught me that. I know what to do." "You do? That's great. Very trustworthy! That's all I needed to say, then. Have a good day, Syldra." "You too." Syldra heaved a sigh, glad that the brunette adult was gone. She spent her day doing the usual, watering the crops, giving them some fertiliser and foraging for her next meal. There wasn't much to put into her diary that night so Syldra jotted down the little things she did. The day after, Syldra worked hard again to look after her crops. She sleeps soundly after another hard day of work. While dreaming, she hears the voice that told her to help Dunhill. _"… Syldra… Syldra… You worked hard today! You seem to be sleeping soundly, so just reply to me in your dream! Syldra, are you having trouble figuring out what to do on your farm?" _ "Hmm mm. No." _"Got that? Well then, get a good night's sleep! Sweet dreams!" _The voice faded as quickly as it had arrived, leaving Syldra in peace.

Days went by and Syldra put her back into farming. She was slowly getting used to the daily strain of watering the crops. Sprouts were already coming out of the ground thanks to the love and care Syldra lavished the plants with. She made regular visits to the store, mainly to see how Hana was holding up. Being old, Hana was susceptible to illness a lot more than the other two residents of Echo Village. It pleased Hana to have Syldra watching out for her despite having an already heavy workload. While waiting for the potatoes to grow, Syldra shipped critters and poisonous mushrooms which she deemed too dangerous to eat. Syldra also collected a few bees and wild flowers. Every other day, Syldra would give Emma a flower she found in the wilds, making the shipper happy. Syldra filled her empty field with Marguerite seeds to cultivate flowers alongside the vegetables. On February 7th Syldra had gone to the next town to post a letter to her parents to let them know how she was getting on. She wondered if hiring a farm hand would help ease the load, but currently there would be no room for an extra worker to stay so she settled for working the farm alone. Dunhill, Emma and Hana would drop by on occasion at different times to check on their young farmer to see her working hard or just plain relaxing to ease her aching muscles. And on top of the farm work, Syldra had to wash her clothes by hand too. Her days were never empty of work and she hoped it would calm soon.

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><p>So folks, how was it? Good enough for you? I'm working on chapter two and should have it done soon. As far as getting intros and stuff down, I just got by Iroha. Also, I will add some OC's in later in the fic.<p>

Please R&R and have a good day/evening/night/morning whatever time you read this chapter.

Until next time ya lil' critters!


	2. New Friends

Here's chapter two. Terribly sorry for the delay but I've been busy with other things, such as my other Harvest Moon game and my boy file of ANB.

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><p><span>Chapter 2<span>

New Friends

On the morning of February 9th, mooing could be heard outside which snapped Syldra out of a daydream she'd been having. The sun blinded Syldra as she stepped outside. By the entrance to her farm she saw a cow. Thinking the poor thing was lost, Syldra slowly approaches the animal. "Hey there sweetie, are you lost?" "Mooo!" Seconds later a male voice could be heard calling. It was a somewhat hoarse voice but soft at the same time. "Hey there! Are you Syldra?" "!" Syldra turned in a snap, unable to believe her eyes what she could see. A strapping young man came striding onto the farm, leaving Syldra lost for words. He had short glossy dark blonde hair and dark pink eyes, narrowly shaped, giving him a tough guy look. "I'm Neil. I run the animal store in this town." Syldra looked Neil up and down, unable to believe her ears. She'd expected the animal dealer to be a grouchy old man, not the handsome blonde in front of her. "Old man Dunhill sends me to give his regards." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Neil. Err…no offense, but what's with the cow?" Neil looked towards the animal in question, his eyes harder still. "Oh, this? Think of it as a contribution to your stock." Syldra's eyes lit up and Neil knew he was in for some unwanted physical contact, moving back to a safe distance. "Really? Oh, thank you!" "Don't get me wrong!" Neil snapped. "It's a present from Dunhill. I'm just the messenger." Syldra falls in love with the bovine right away, and feels something for Neil, too.

Neil quickly grows tired of Syldra's adoration with the animal, his arms folded tightly. "How about picking a name?" "Alright. I'll call you Molly." Neil seemed to scoff at the name, huffing heavily. "Hmph. I guess it will have to do." Molly lets out a happy moo, a trusting look in her eyes. Molly's behaviour struck Neil as odd. "… This one doesn't normally trust people. I had a hard time bringing her here. I think she's quite fond of you." Neil looks at Syldra and she gazes back, ignoring the stern stare. "What can I do?" Neil seemed uncertain, and probably fighting with himself on the inside. "It was her farewell gift. I'll give it to you as a present, but just this one time." Neil hands Syldra the tools she'd need to look after Molly, leaving her a tad baffled. "Here's a milker, a brush and a pitchfork. Use them wisely!" "I will." Something suddenly clicks in Neil's head as he turns to leave. "Wait a minute! Aren't you a total beginner at stock breeding? Do you even know how to take care of animals?" Syldra felt insulted and wounded, forcing back the urge to punch Neil. "Of course I do!" Hearing that seemed to calm Neil. "In that case you're good to go! So should I tell you more about my animal shop? It's open from Monday to Thursday and the hours are 10:00am to 6:00pm. We're closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so make sure to buy everything beforehand." "Okay, got it."

Neil ran a hand through his hair, trying to think if he was missing anything. Despite his mean appearance, Syldra found Neil to be quite cute. She gave Molly some attention when the animal nudged her hand. "Also, my shop is located on the town plaza, so it's closed on rainy days. So keep that in mind." "Will do." A relieved sigh left Neil's lips so Syldra guess he had nothing more to tell her at current. "I'll be heading back. Molly is counting on you, so make sure you take proper care of her." Before Syldra could say another word, Neil stalked away, hands in his pockets. He appeared cold to humans, leading Syldra to believe he knew more about animals and had probably suffered young. Whilst leading Molly into the barn, Syldra vowed to do everything in her power to help Neil. After doing her usual chores and brushing her new cow, Syldra went foraging. After that she headed to Neil's store to get some stuff for Molly. Neil didn't appear to like being around people much. "Hello. Oh, it's you, Syldra. It's such a pain but I'll go ahead and explain to you about the animal sanctuary." Syldra blinked, cocking her head to the side. "Animal sanctuary? What's that?" "It's a special place you can take any of your farm animals…except chickens… and graze them. When you graze them there, it takes away their stress. And if you take them a few times, they will give you a special product. It costs money to go, but it's nice to give your animals a change of scenery, right?" there was an annoyed look on Neil's face throughout the explanation, making Syldra think he disliked dealing with people. She was snapped out of her thoughts by Neil's snippy tone. "Now what's your business?"

Syldra went on to buy some food and treats for Molly, handing the money over with a smile. Since his time hadn't been wasted, Neil seemed to perk up a bit. "Hey, thanks. If you need anything else come back." Syldra nods gleefully and bows slightly. "Thanks, Neil. You'll be the one I come to for all my livestock needs." For the remainder of the day, Syldra bonded with Molly, huddling with the cow in the barn. In the early evening she could see signs of incoming rain, closing all the windows to keep the warmth in. After supper Syldra sat to write in her diary again. **"Feb 9th 09. I met the animal dealer today. His name is Neil. He's a bit harsh but I think that deep down, he's a nice person. He clearly loves animals of all kinds. I hope we can be friends. This town is still pretty lonely with no new people moving in. I'll be sure to take good care of Molly, my first cow. Maybe I'll buy another once I have the money so she won't be lonely in the barn when I have to work or go away from the farm. It looks like it'll rain tomorrow so I'll have to keep Molly in the barn so she doesn't fall sick. I want to give Neil a gift, but what do I give him? Produce from animals maybe? Some milk should go down well but for now I need to focus on raising some money to keep me going." **With her diary filled once again, Syldra scrambled in to her bed and fell soundly asleep, oblivious to the sound of rain starting to fall against the windows.

After a long and tiring day of working in the rain the next day, Syldra went to bed. It had made her happy to see Neil smiling when he received a gift of milk. That night, the voice came back. _"…Syldra… Syldra… You worked hard today! You seem to be sleeping soundly so just listen to me in your dream! You've been doing a great job growing crops recently, Syldra! And by the way, the General Store sells grass seeds too. Try growing grass to feed your cows! Bye, Syldra. Keep up the good work tomorrow! Sweet dreams!" _Syldra woke up the next morning feeling great. The sun was shining which meant Neil's store would be open. Syldra decided it would be great to take Molly to the animal sanctuary. First came the usual duties of the farm and foraging. At 1:35pm, Syldra stopped by Neil's shop. He looked as gloomy as ever. "This is Neil's Animals. What's your business?" "Hey Neil. I'd like to go to the animal sanctuary." Neil heaved a heavy sigh. "Fine, choose the animals to take with you." Syldra giggled lightly at Neil's forgetfulness. "I only have one animal, silly." Neil slapped himself mentally for his little blunder, his voice portraying uninterest. "Oh, right. Yeah. Well that'll be 100g. Do you still want to go?" "Yup I sure do." Was Syldra's happy reply. Getting Molly into the truck was a bit difficult but Syldra managed to tempt her in with some hay. The drive didn't take long. All Syldra could see was grassland. Neil seemed happy to be in the wide open space. "Okay, we're here! Welcome to the animal sanctuary! Here your animals can graze to their hearts' content, lowering their stress. The longer they stay the better. Well I'm just killing time here. Spend some time with Molly. The return trip is at 9pm."

Syldra nods energetically and runs over to Molly's side. With the explanation over, Neil went to relax away from Syldra, whom cuddled up with Molly, giving lots of affection to the cow which made her happy. The hours whittled away and soon it was time to leave. Syldra was almost falling asleep against Molly's side as the cow had dozed off about an hour ago. "Hey, Syldra." Called girl looks up, noticing some insecurity echoing in Neil's voice. "It's about time to go back." "Oh, ok. Come on Molly. Time to go home." Molly tiredly waddled into the truck without a fuss. With her settled, Syldra sat in the front with Neil. The ride back was silent, making Syldra feel nervous. She was relieved to see EchoTown. Neil had the decency to put Molly back in the barn. "We're back, Syldra. I put Molly back in the barn. She looked real happy. See you later." Syldra gave a tired nod, heading into her house while Neil went to take his animals back to where they were kept. 'What a fun day! I'm so tired though…I want to go to bed!' Syldra did just that after a nice hot cup of coco. She had watched Neil lounging in the grass with a blade of it in his mouth. He looked so peaceful and innocent you'd never believe how moody he really was. Syldra relaxed into sleep quite quickly, her dreams filled with joy. She also dreamt of a time where she and Neil were married with kids. In reality, she had little hope of ever winning Neil over but it never hurt anybody to try for their dreams.

In the early morning of February 12th Syldra is roused from her thoughts by a knock at the door. Outside she finds Emma who looked bright eyed and bushy tailed as usual. Syldra couldn't figure out how Emma could be so hyped in the mornings. "Good morning, Syldra." Emma greeted with a big smile. "Hope I'm not disturbing you." "Not at all Emma." Syldra responded with a small smile of her own, allowing the older woman inside. "Nice to see you, Syldra. You've been in town 10 days now…are you used to life here?" "Yes I am." "Oh, good! That's nice to hear. But Syldra…you've never had your own place before, have you? Do you know how to cook for yourself? If you'd like I can help you learn?" "I'd like that very much, Emma." Syldra beamed, her energy finally coming forward. "I don't know much." Emma looked really happy to hear Syldra accepting her offer of help. "You know, I have a kid about your age, Syldra, who also lives alone. So I'm always looking for a chance to help out someone in that situation… I'm glad I can help you! Now let's get started." Syldra and Emma move into the kitchen and go over some basic stuff, like making sure the kitchen and utensils were clean before cooking, how to prepare ingredients. "To cook, you'll need 2 things besides utensils. A recipe and ingredients. There are 8 categories of recipes: salad, soup, fried, pot, rice, bread, desserts and drinks. To make dishes in each category, you need the basic recipes, sold at the General Store." "I'll go get them at my nearest convenience." "Good to hear. While I'm here, I'll go ahead and give you basic bread recipes and basic dessert recipes."

Syldra accepts the recipes gratefully, hoping to try them out soon. Emma is happy to see Syldra smiling. "You can give food you cook as gifts! And for the Harmony Days and Pumpkin Festival you need to make desserts." "Got it." "That's all I have to tell you, Syldra. I'll be going now. Take care." Emma waved as she headed towards the door and Syldra returned the gesture. "Thanks, Emma. Bye!" With the motherly shipper gone, Syldra made a start on her usual duties, stopping by the shop to get some basic fried recipes and plenty of fertilizer. It always made Hana happy to see Syldra whether she was buying something or not. "Thanks Hana!" Syldra called as she left. "See you later!" "Take care, Syldra! Stop by again soon!" With little effort, the night came around and Syldra excitedly filed in her diary. **"Feb 12th 09. Emma came by and gave me some basic recipes today. I can't wait to try them out. I wonder what foods the people in town like? Maybe I can even start my own brand of ready meals! That'll definitely boost my income! I'll write to mom and dad again soon to let them know, maybe invite them to come visit soon." **With the diary page filled, Syldra closed it and settled her weary head on the pillows. It had been a long day and Syldra couldn't wait to start cooking the new recipes she had. Crickets and grasshoppers chirped softly throughout the night, lulling everyone into a deep, peacefully sleep. Rain clouds loomed and looked set to douse the land in the early morn.

It was raining when Syldra woke up the next morning. This meant she wouldn't have to water her crops, but she'd tire easier doing other things. She didn't let the rain deter her as she went about her usual morning routine, feeding Molly and giving Neil some fresh milk which seemed to brighten his mood. In the early evening, Syldra stopped by the General Store, having received a letter about new stock. Hana was stunned to see Syldra walking in, dripping wet. "Deary me, Syldra! You're soaked right through! Come warm yourself up. On days like this you should be indoors." "Thanks Hana. So what new stock have you got?" Hana's eyes shone with worry as she moved to the shelves behind the counter. Syldra was touched that Hana was concerned about her health. The elderly lady returned with some recipes in hand. "Here. I just finished some new recipes last night. There's potato pancakes, baked yam, mimosa salad and herb salad." "They sound delicious! I can't wait to try these!" It brightened Hana's day to see Syldra happy, bidding her farewell as she ventured back into the rain to get home. Syldra went to bed exhausted that night. As usual she wrote in her diary about all she'd done, like catching her first common frog. She couldn't wait for a new day to begin and hoped the weather would be clear so that Molly could come out of the barn. The sun had come out to play again the following morning, lifting Syldra's mood greatly. She watered the crops, sprinkled fertilizer over them and tended to Molly, gifting her with a cow treat. The wilds were rife with materials, critters and edibles. This meant Syldra would have lots to ship.

That evening, she went to visit Neil. He'd looked a little down all day so she hoped to cheer him up. It took him a few minutes to answer the door. It turned out he'd been in the shower when Syldra knocked. "I'm so sorry Neil! I didn't realize-" "It's fine. Come on in." Syldra's cheeks were painted bright red at having caught the attractive animal dealer in nothing but a towel around his waist. "So how was your day?" He called from the bedroom while Syldra sat on the black leather sofa in his living room. "It was okay. I can't wait to have a better income. Then I won't have to go out and catch bugs." A shiver ran down Syldra's spine at the thought of crickets and locusts and grasshoppers just as Neil came out dressed casually in skinny black jeans and a tight punk t-shirt. He also wore wrist bands and a necklace of some sort. The aching of her lungs reminded Syldra that she needed to breathe, unaware that she'd had her breath taken away. "H-Here, I brought this for you. Molly has been giving me a little extra just lately." Syldra held out a canister of milk and Neil took it with a smile. "Thanks. So Molly is doing well then?" "Yes. It must be all the love I'm giving her and she just wants to show she's grateful." Neil vanished into the kitchen to put the milk somewhere cool and returned with two cups of tea. Syldra had never seen the hospitable side to Neil. She'd expected to be shooed away, not welcomed inside and allowed to stay. Something about Neil seemed different now he was alone with Syldra.

Early on February 15th, Syldra is woken up by someone calling at the door. She'd stayed at Neil's until close to midnight and he'd had the heart to walk her home, even hugged her a little. "Syldra, are you awake? Can I come in?" "Sure, I'll be out in a minute." Syldra dressed herself with haste in her usual work clothes of blue knee-high leggings, a two-part dress of white cotton with red flower designs at the edges and a green skirt stopping above her knees. Over the dress was a short sleeved cream hoodie, the sleeves shorter than the dress sleeves. On her hands were yellow gloves well suited for heavy duty work and her feet sported white ankle socks and ankle high slip on boots. After getting ready, Syldra found Hana sitting on the couch, looking a bit puffed out. "Oh, good morning Hana. What's up?" "Hello, Syldra. Would you like to take a walk with me today? I'll show you a great place for gathering stuff!" Syldra hadn't the heart to turn the old lady down, nodding with a smile. "Okay. Just take it easy Hana. It looks a bit nippy today." "Great! I've been looking for someone to go walking with, but there aren't exactly a lot of people here in town. Ah, please excuse me. I shouldn't be talking like that, should I. Let's just get moving." Syldra understood what Hana meant, wishing the town was more lively herself. Syldra grabbed a coat just in case it got chilly. The last thing she wanted was for Hana to fall ill. At her age, Hana was likely to catch worse versions of common viruses that could leave her bedridden or worse. To ensure that Hana didn't fall, Syldra gently looped her arm around Hana's with a smile to show she meant no offense.

Despite her old age, Hana still had a lot of energy in her. Along the way the duo talked until they came to the mountain area. Hana stopped by a plant covered tree stump and pointed her walking stick at it. "Here we are! Look, Syldra. That's the spot I was telling you about." Syldra walked over to the stump with Hana, aiding the elderly lady gently. "If you search that stump there, you will find nuts or herbs. Have a look later." "Okay. We should head back now, Hana. You look tired." "Yes. That was a great walk. Let's head back to town then. Syldra, thanks a lot for today. It was great to be able to take a walk with you. Let's do it again some time." Syldra smiled warmly and rubbed Hana's back. "That's okay. Besides, I owe you all for preparing my house for me." As Syldra and Hana headed towards the river, the elderly lady spotted something at the bottom of the hill. "…Oh, hold on." "What is it Hana?" "Syldra, look over there. There's someone there." As Hana had said, there was a girl down by the stream. She looked lost. "It's quite rare for anyone to come to the town. Let's talk to her!" "Okay." The girl dressed in eastern style clothes and wore a strange headband. He black hair was tied into a high ponytail that reached her bum, fringe pinned back on the top of her head. Syldra had to wonder what she could be doing out in the wilderness all by herself. What if she'd slipped into the water and nobody was around? Could the girl swim? Or a bear could attack her.

Hana was cheerful as ever when greeting the strange girl. To her it didn't matter where you came from, a visitor was a visitor and the girl deserved to be given the benefit of a doubt. "Good morning." The girl turned around surprised and somewhat panicked. Her blackish blue eyes were filled with fright. "Sorry deary, it's just so rare to see anyone around here, we just had to talk to you. I'm Hana. This is Syldra." Once again Syldra's shy side struck, her cheeks pink. But she seemed happy to meet another young girl. The stranger was calm now, no hint of a smile on her face. "Nice to meet you. My name is Iroha." Iroha's cold front faded instantly after that. "Thank you so much for talking to me. In fact, I was having a bit of trouble, so maybe you can help me out." 'This girl seems very cheerful despite her predicament.' Syldra thought to herself, choosing then to ask what was wrong. "What's wrong?" Iroha turned to Syldra when she replied. "I've heard that it is possible to mine ore in this region, but I can't find the place." Hana shifted a little as her hips started to hurt, responding to Iroha's explanation. "You're right, you can find ore here. The forest up ahead is one such spot. We didn't see anything like that there this morning though, did we…" Syldra shook her head negatively. "I didn't see anything like that, no." Iroha looked pleased for the help, her smile brightening. "Thank you for your kindness. It seems my information was correct. I'm pleased. I'm thinking of staying here in town for a while, to collect as much ore as I can. Could you direct me to the inn?" Hana saddened, disliking the news she was about to give.

"I'm sorry, dear. We had an inn right up until a few days ago, but now it's closed down." The news seemed to frustrate Iroha a little but that was understandable. "It is? That might be a problem… If you don't have an inn then I don't have a choice though, do I? I'll stay in the next town over…" Just then, Syldra had a light bulb moment, catching Hana and Iroha's attention. "We have an empty house in town. You could stay there." This revelation really caught Iroha's undivided attention. "…An empty house?" Hana's mood brightened considerably, unsure of why she didn't think of the house before. "That's an excellent idea, now isn't it? Let's go and ask Dunhill right away." Without argument the three girls headed to the empty house near Dunhill's. It was spacious inside…with something that got Iroha's interest. "That's a forge…!" Iroha inspected the forge. It was in great condition. Hana broke the silence. "I'll go and get Dunhill. You two wait here." The old lady tottered off, leaving the young women alone, giving them time to chat. "I can't believe you have a forge in town. It's like a dream come true!" Iroha's outburst confused Syldra. "Why's that?" "Ah, of course. I haven't told you about myself yet, have I?" "That's all right." Iroha smiled warmly and explained briefly. "I'm travelling from region to region as I train to become a blacksmith." Syldra wanted to believe she was hearing things but Iroha didn't strike her as a liar. "A blacksmith? That sounds tough."

Iroha couldn't blame Syldra for being in disbelief. Female blacksmiths were hard to find. "Yes it is. Regular inns don't exactly have a forge inside them, so it makes it hard to keep up a regular training schedule. If I live here, though, I'll be able to train whenever I want!" "You sure can. I wish you luck, Iroha." At that moment, Hana came back with Dunhill. "Ah, you must be Iroha? My name is Dunhill. You want to live here in town, do you? Could you start by telling me a bit about yourself?" Iroha explained to Dunhill and Hana what she'd just told Syldra. "…and that's why I'd like to live here. Would it be possible for me to live in this house, then? I'll pay rent." Dunhill was silent for a moment before he smiled widely. "Of course you can! It's a waste to just have the house sitting there. It'll be a big help to have a blacksmith living in town. Great to meet you, Iroha." Dunhill's friendliness startles Iroha for a moment, but she's happy to hear she can live in the house. "T-Thank you! I'll do my very best!" Iroha gave a short bow to show her gratitude which pleases Syldra to no end. "I'll get everything ready that you'll need to live here, then." Hana piped up after Dunhill, pleased that a new youngster was moving in. "I'll let Emma and Neil know about this, too. See you soon, Iroha." Iroha bowed again, her ponytail falling over her shoulder. "Thank you so much." Hana and Dunhill left the house, once again leaving Syldra alone with the new blacksmith. "Syldra, thank you. I've found a place to live and a place to train, all thanks to you." Iroha bowed to Syldra, making her blush deep crimson. "Err…don't mention it. All I did was make a suggestion."

Iroha was quick to disagree. "Not at all. This is all thanks to you, Syldra! Please, take these in thanks." Iroha gifts Syldra with a hammer and an axe. "These tools will help you harvest stone and wood. I'm sure the axe will come in handy to clear the town of rogue trees. The axe I just gave you can only be used on broadleaf trees, the kind with round leaves. Give it a try!" Syldra is grateful for the gifts, her smile broad. Iroha suddenly loses heart, worrying Syldra. "Sorry, I know these aren't the kind of things that people normally give as gifts. But that's all I have right now…" "No, I think they're great! They'll help me loads on my farm!" Iroha blinked in surprise, her worry fading. "What? You run a farm, Syldra?" "Yup." "Then you need tools, don't you? I'm glad my gifts are going to be useful to you." The girls both smiled, a strong friendship already blossoming between them. "We're going to be living in the same town from now on, Syldra, so I hope we can become friends." Syldra nodded briskly in agreement. "I'd love that! I have to go now, Iroha. Stop by the farm sometime." "I will. See you soon!" With a spring in her step, Syldra went home and wrote excitedly in her diary. Having another young woman in town meant she had somebody to talk to! Molly picked up on Syldra's good mood, mooing happily in recognition. Syldra silently promised that she'd do everything she could to help Iroha as she trained in the ways of blacksmithing. Neil stopped by briefly and noticed Syldra's good mood.

Syldra went back to Iroha's later that day and gave her some scrap metal to practise with. She'd thoroughly combed the forest area for just that one piece some days ago but had no use for it. "Sorry it's not much. I came across it the other day and thought a blacksmith in training could use it." Iroha was very pleased for the help, setting a gentle hand on Syldra's shoulder. "Thank you, Syldra. It's true I need to practise. If you find any more, I'll happily take it off your hands, but only one piece a day." With the gift given, Syldra returned to her usual duties. Neil volunteered to go foraging with Syldra since he too needed some food. He was mostly quiet so not to disturb any bugs or wildlife nearby. At one point, Syldra found Neil sitting with some foxes, petting ad feeding them with some fish. They returned to the town close to 9pm and parted ways outside Emma's house. That night, whilst Syldra slept, the voice came back. _"…Syldra… Syldra… You worked hard today! You seem to be sleeping soundly, so just listen to me in your dream! How is the cow you got from Neil doing? You can get milk from cows! You can ship the milk to earn money or use it in cooking. If you make enough money, you can buy another cow! Cows are so cute, I'm sure you'll love having them, Syldra! Okay, Syldra, good look with your cows! And sweet dreams!" _Syldra tossed a little in her sleep, willing the voice to go away. The last couple of times she'd noticed it was a little boys' voice talking to her while she slumbered. As she slept, Syldra thought to write to her parents again soon to give them the good news. It would mean taking a trip to the next town but Syldra didn't mind much.

Syldra felt refreshed after a good night's sleep, walking outside with a spring in her stride. After tending to her crops and cow, Syldra paid a visit to the store. She had received a notice about new stock the previous day. As always, Hana was happy to see Syldra. "Good afternoon, Syldra. How can I help you today dear?" "Hello, Hana. I've come to see what new stock you have." Hana's new stock consisted of a hammer and an axe, but Syldra didn't need them so she purchased some fertilizer, having run out that morning. After finishing work on the farm, Syldra took a stroll to the town square. As usual, Neil didn't look too pleased. Syldra bought more cow treats and fodder before having Molly taken to the animal sanctuary. Once there, Neil went to lounge in the grass, but stayed a bit closer to Syldra this time. He was comforted by how gentle the girl was towards Molly, and to him despite how he tried to push her away. He couldn't help but wonder why he'd been so kind to her the other night, going so far as to cuddle her after walking the weary farmer home. It didn't take long for a few hours to pass by and soon Neil was driving Syldra and Molly home. Neil stood frozen in place when Syldra embraced him, her arms around his waist. He tried desperately not to blush when he felt Syldra's soft lips against his cheek. Startled, Neil walked hastily away from the farm to where his truck sat just outside. Syldra suppressed a chuckle, figuring Neil would act that way.

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><p>And there you have it folks. The Harvest Sprites will be in this story but their parts will be limited. And no musical tree stumps. sheesh I tire of seeing them already. Instead of bouncy mushrooms, there will be bridges where bridges should be. as for mining, I ain't got a frickin' clue. More of Syldra and Neil to come in the next chapter. Will they fall in love? What's going to happen if they do?<p> 


	3. Bonding

Apologies for the incredibly long overdue update. The next few chapters minus the last I have will have no Author's Notes as I'm doing a bulk update.

WARNING! The story gets VERY mature during this chapter and after.

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Bonding

Come the next morning, Syldra heard a familiar voice. _"Syldra. Good morning." _Syldra looked around feeling more confused than ever. There was a bright flash and when Syldra turned around she saw a small boy dressed in red. He looked like an elf. "Hi, Syldra. I am a Harvest Sprite, one who dwells in the Earth. My name is Aaron. I've protected this town, along with my sister, for a long time. So I thought it was time to meet." Syldra looked at the boy now named Aaron in disbelief. She wasn't sure how to take the discovery. "Hang on. I've heard your voice somewhere before." Aaron's face lit up upon hearing that. "You've heard my voice before have you? Of course you have! I'm the one who gave you that little push when it came to helping Dunhill out. You came by just as I needed you, actually. Great timing. Normal people can't see us so I was in a bit of a bind." Given what Aaron just said, Syldra wondered how she could see him. "So um…how is it that I can see you?" "Because the Harvest Goddess, a being who also dwells in the Earth, has blessed you. You've been chosen to revive the town, Syldra. Well, it's time for you to meet my sister. She's waiting for us by the river. I'll have to use magic to get us there. Here we go!" Syldra held her breath as a white light fell around her. Once it faded, Syldra noticed she was in the river area. Aaron was beaming with joy. "Are you impressed? That's nothing for a Harvest Sprite like me! Hey sis, we're here! You can come out now!"

There were a few seconds of silence before someone replied, definitely female. "I'm coming. No need to shout the place down." From the bushes came a girl dressed in purple. In Syldra's eyes, this little sprite was ill spirited. "So you're Syldra?" Said the sprite, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "I'm Alice, Aaron's older sister." Said Harvest Sprite went pale when Alice turned to him. "What took you so long?!" Aaron whined about getting there as fast as they could and that seemed to calm Alice. "It's okay. I forgive you. Now listen up, Syldra. The Harvest Goddess has selected you to bring Echo Town back to life. She's away right now but hopefully she'll be back soon. It's our job to help you out in the meantime. First we'll give you access to a new part of the river area. Aaron, if you will." Said Harvest Sprite looked to be focusing really hard until a rock could be heard blowing up. "There!" Aaron announced. "Now you can access the cliff near the entrance from town. The bridge is old but sturdy." Syldra nods in appreciation and smiles brightly. Once again, Alice took over speaking. "Well it was nice meeting you. Now off you go! You've got a farm to look after!" Without hesitation, Syldra went back to her farm to tend to Molly and her crops. That night she writes in her diary about meeting the Harvest Sprites and how it was her job to revive the town. This would surely please and worry her parents.

On the morn of February 20th Syldra woke with a stretch and a yawn. It was a Saturday so Neil's shop wouldn't be open. Before getting to work, Syldra goes to pay the socially awkward animal dealer a visit. To her surprise, Neil was arguing with somebody. This was the first time she'd ever seen him so angry. "Like I said, it was a mistake selling it to you!" The rage in Neil's voice made Syldra step back a little, not wanting to get too close to the fight for fear she'd be dragged into it. The man however had a quick comeback. "Hah! Some shopkeeper you are! I'll never buy animals from you again!" This in turn made Neil angrier, if it was even possible. "That's fine by me. I'll never sell animals to someone like you again!" Neil then turned his back on the man, trying to calm himself. "Gah… What a waste of time this was!" The man goes to leave but Syldra is standing in front of the door, shocked. He wasted no time snapping at her, too. "Hey, out of my way! I'm leaving!" Syldra stepped aside and once the man was gone, she approached Neil. He hadn't seen or heard her walk in. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?" "What was that about?" Neil's defensive temper lifted immediately. "This has nothing to do with you. Just leave me alone." "Neil, please. Tell me." Syldra pulls the best sad face she could whilst looking into Neil's eyes. Suffice to say he didn't take well to the behaviour. "Don't make that face! You're acting like I was picking on you." Syldra holds firm, and Neil sighs. "Okay, okay. You win. You'll leave me alone if I tell you about it, right?" "Just get it off your chest, Neil." Neil sighs again to try and compose himself and Syldra rubs his back soothingly.

"That guy with the bad attitude who was in here before is a customer of mine. He came to complain about a cow I sold to him." "But why?" Syldra made sure to pry gently, knowing Neil was liable to snap at any given moment. "You want to know why?" Syldra nods, her eyes telling Neil he could trust her. "It seems the cow I sold him got sick. He seems to think I sold him a sickly cow on purpose. I asked him how he's been looking after the cow, and it turns out he's been treating it pretty badly. So it quickly descended into a fight. Pretty bad of him, right? He's gone now so everything is okay." "That's horrible! What about the sick cow?" It took a moment for Neil to process the words coming from Syldra's mouth as he was still pretty angry. "What was that? Argh, you're right! I need to give some medicine to the poor thing or it'll be done for! How could I overlook that?! Right, if I run, I can still make it!"

Neil bolts out the door at amazing speed, hoping he'd get to the cow before it was too late. Syldra waited patiently for Neil to return, hoping he'd gotten to the cow in time. He returned about an hour later all puffed out. "Phew. I'm worn out!" Neil is surprised to see Syldra at the table, thinking she'd gone home after he left. "What, you're still here?" "How'd it go, Neil?" "Huh? You want to know what happened? I took some animal medicine to him, that's what happened. I also gave him some advice on how to better look after the cow. It might not make a difference but at least I tried."

Neil sat opposite Syldra at the table but she moved to stand by him. Deep down, she was proud of Neil for overcoming his anger. "That's right, you did." Syldra smiles and Neil notices it from the corner of his eye. "What are you smiling for, eh? T-Thanks for that, anyway." "Huh? What do you mean?" "If you hadn't been here I don't think I'd have given that poor cow a second thought. I was so angry!" "That's okay Neil. I'm just glad I could help." Syldra wasn't blind to Neil's nervousness as he continued. "Y-You've got work to do right? Go on get out of here! I'm busy too. See you later." Syldra was given no time to protest as Neil shoved her out the front door. She decided it would be best to give Neil some space after what had happened. Syldra spent the rest of her day with Iroha, walking through the mountains gathering edibles and shippable items.

In the early evening, Syldra invited Neil over for supper, feeling in need of his company. To her glee he accepted and arrived around 7pm looking sexy as ever. Syldra had dressed up for the occasion in tight purple jeans, a baby blue vest top under an Emerald green blouse and her hair was tied into a neat ponytail. "Hey Neil." Syldra greeted as she opened the old door. "You're just in time. Come on in and have a seat." Neil seemed a little nervous as he stepped inside. Syldra had prepared a wholesome stew and some dumplings for supper and the smell got Neil's mouth watering. "So Neil, how'd your day go after that little event this morning?" "Hm? Oh, it was okay I suppose. Yours?" "I went walking with Iroha. It's nice having another young woman in town to talk to. No offense to Emma and Hana, of course." Neil nods in understanding, sitting patiently at the table while Syldra served up the stew.

After supper Syldra took Neil to see Molly. She was happy to see Syldra, but nervous of the company. "It's okay Molly." Syldra soothed while stroking Molly's cheek. "Neil won't hurt you. He brought us together, remember?" Molly let out a loud moo as Neil got closer. She shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously as he reached out to pet her. "Easy girl. I'm not gonna hurt you. You've gotten big, haven't you?" Once Neil's hand was on Molly's neck the bovine calmed down. He also held out a treat for her and she took it hesitantly. "There you go. No harm done." Neil then turned to face Syldra who was brushing Molly's side. "I can see you're taking good care of her. I was wrong to doubt you, Syldra. I've seen a lot of animals suffer at the hands of their owners that I grew wary of selling them to people." "That's understandable Neil. Livestock are often taken for granted by a lot of people. They don't realise how much we depend on them to put the meals on our tables. Deep down, I knew you didn't mean to be so harsh to me when you arrived with Molly, Neil. You were just afraid she'd get hurt. I promised to take good care of her and I will, that I can assure you." Neil smiled, more than any other time he'd been near Syldra. Looking at her, he felt something deep inside. Neil had never experienced such a sensation and was confused as to what it was. He did know that Syldra would keep her promise to him and Molly.

Three days later the sun shone high in the sky. Syldra's feelings for Neil had grown deeper after inviting him to supper. He'd stop by every few hours if he wasn't working to see how Molly was doing. He also wanted to befriend Molly after how well she took to him. It was Tuesday so Neil had to work, much to his dismay. His heart started racing as soon as he saw Syldra heading his way in the early evening, the same smile on her face as she passed by Iroha and Emma. "Evening Neil. You look tired. Are you sleeping okay?" Neil blinked, staring at Syldra curiously. Something seemed different about her today. "I'm fine." He claimed, his tone moody as usual. "What's your business?" "I'd like to take Molly to the animal sanctuary." Without another word, Syldra handed the fee to Neil and they went to fetch Molly from the farm. The journey once again was silent and Molly couldn't wait to get out of the truck upon arriving at the sanctuary. Just like all the other times, Neil found a spot to lie down and chew on some grass. Syldra spent an hour cuddling with Molly before moving to lie down next to Neil. This surprised him greatly. Normally Syldra spent her time at the sanctuary huddling up with Molly. "Hey. You don't have to sit over here by yourself, you know. I won't bite." "Leave me alone, Syldra." "Aww don't be like that Neil." Said animal dealer started to panic when Syldra began touching him, first his cheek, then his chest. Looking into Syldra's eyes, Neil could see her feelings for him shining brightly. "I know you've been feeling something Neil. Deep down. You don't have to be afraid." "I-I'm not afraid. Now leave me be, woman." "Do you not want to be loved, Neil? Is there a reason why you try to keep me at arms' length? I just want to make you happy."

Neil would've moved away had Syldra not pinned him to the ground, sitting on his groin area. This made him go stiff as a rock in the same area, which of course aroused some confusion. Syldra on the other hand was pleased to feel Neil's happiness against her. "There's no hiding it now Neil. I know your secret, what you've been hiding." Neil's heart began beating faster and faster as Syldra leaned down, her face getting closer to his every second. He no longer wanted to run. The time for that had passed. Now all Neil could do was wait and see what Syldra would do with the upper hand she had over him. Her body was also now flat against his and he went beet red upon feeling her breasts against his chin. This behaviour made Syldra smile, moving closer still. "It's okay Neil. You can touch me if you want. I won't stop you. In fact, I'm aching for you to put your hands all over me." Neil wasn't sure why, but he found himself reaching out to grasp at Syldra's plump butt. She squeaked in surprise but settled quickly with the position of Neil's grabby mittens. "See? No need to be so shy." "W-What's going on, Syldra? Why are you doing this?" "Isn't it obvious Neil? I love you and I know you feel the same for me too. There's nobody here to see us." Neil's bottom lip quivered as Syldra's face was mere millimetres away, her fingers caressing his cheek softly. He glanced to Molly, finding she was sleeping soundly.

Neil's heart skipped a beat when Syldra finally closed the small gap between them. The experience was so alien to him that he was almost frightened of it. But the feeling of Syldra's hands in his hair soothed Neil's fear and he slowly started to return the affection, winding his arms around her waist, keeping Syldra close. The only thing he feared now was losing her. Syldra was vaguely surprised when Neil began kissing back, running his tongue over her bottom lip, asking for permission to enter. She granted his request and the moment went wild. Syldra also rubbed her crotch against Neil's stiff manhood, bribing a few moans from him. Soon he returned the gesture while Syldra reached for his zipper, followed by the waistband of his underwear. By now Neil wanted nothing more than to bone Syldra, yearning to feel her flesh as she continued to rub him. To get Syldra that little bit closer towards being boned, Neil removed her large breasts from the tight top she wore and took the nipple of one into his mouth. Syldra sat upright, taking Neil along with her. He was content so long as he had a hold on Syldra. Whilst Neil was preoccupied with suckling at her breast, Syldra moved his stiff penis into position. She'd come prepared, no panties under her knee length skirt. Neil shut his eyes tightly at the unfamiliar feeling of sweet warmth around his manhood, grunting a little but also trying not to bite the nipple still in his mouth. Syldra's cheeks were painted dark red as she wriggled to get Neil's dick all the way inside her. She felt some pain since this was her first time having sex. Neil released his hold on Syldra's breast to remove her top altogether and she did the same with his. He unbuttoned Syldra's skirt and tossed it to one side before groping at her wide hips.

They sat there for a moment, gazing into each others' eyes as if to ask, 'what now?' The answer was simple and provided by Syldra. She began to pump herself slowly on Neil's hard shaft of flesh, using his shoulders for support. He panted and groaned, keeping a firm hold on Syldra's waist as she worked away at his once innocent penis. Neil's back was also flat against the grass which felt pleasantly cool against his warm skin. It didn't take long for Syldra to have her first orgasm, pushing hard against Neil while groaning his name. He flinched as her grip tightened on his broad shoulders but responded by spanking her big, giggly backside. "S-Syldra. Not so hard, that hurts. Y-You f-feel…s-so warm." Syldra didn't reply verbally, returning to riding Neil, a little harder this time. Neil shuffled a little as Syldra's weight started to become too much for him. He surprised her by taking control, assuming the dominant position. It aroused Syldra more to have Neil hovering over her like a hungry wolf guarding its kill. She pulled him close as he began to ride her, gripping at his back almost desperately. The somewhat quiet whimpers of his name bribed Neil to go harder and faster, clutching Syldra tightly to him as he latched onto her tempting neck. This made her moan more, her legs tightening around his hips. Neil's hands ran wild over Syldra's skin, feeling every inch of her figure which excited him.

Just when it seemed like the passionate bliss would never end, Neil reached his peak, pushing deep into Syldra as he came, moaning her name loudly as she did his. Once Neil was done spilling his load, he looked into Syldra's eyes. She was happy to have been one with him, that he could tell. But there also appeared to be a slightly pleading gleam in them, wanting to taste more of that sweet wine. "S-Syldra I'm not sure I can…do much more. But…where do we g-go from here?" Syldra smiled, returning the small hickie Neil had left on her neck. This made him flinch and partially stiffen up. As punishment, Neil spanked Syldra hard but that only made her moan more. "Nobody has to know, Neil. It's okay if you're tired. We can go back if you want." "Are you s-sure?" "I'm sure. You're tired so I'll treat you to supper tonight. I love you, Neil." While Neil went to fetch Molly, Syldra put her clothes back on, grabbing Neil's shirt and coat from the floor. The ride home was quiet as usual. Before leaving the farm to take his animals back, Neil embraced Syldra outside her door, whispering in her ear that he loved her too. His confession deepened Syldra's feelings for him. Whilst Neil was gone, Syldra made a start on the supper. He returned around two hours later looking shattered. After eating they spent an hour cuddling on the sofa until Neil had to go home. Syldra allowed Neil to leave despite wanting him to stay. She dropped into her bed heavy with fatigue. The day had been long and Syldra hadn't the energy to write in her diary. As Syldra slept, her dreams were filled with a happy future. She and Neil were married with children. And the farm was thriving.

As the days went by, Syldra fell more and more in love with Neil. They laid bare together whenever an opportunity presented itself to them. Days turned into weeks and Syldra was able to harvest her potatoes. Fertilizing them paid off as the batch came out with very few small potatoes. In their place Syldra planted some turnips and marguerite flowers, being sure to fertilize and water them daily. February soon gave way for March and the weather warmed up a bit more. Syldra wrote to her parents, letting them know how things were going on the farm and invited them over. If all went well they'd arrange to get there by late March, early April. Syldra couldn't wait to see them again. When she had nothing to do on the farm, Syldra would sometimes help Hana out at the store or assist Neil to groom the cows he was selling. On March 10th, Syldra received a letter from her father saying he and his wife would be there within a week or two. The news got Syldra so excited she couldn't get any sleep that night. A day later she told Dunhill and he was delighted. Neil was bonding well with Molly. She was no longer frightened of him now after daily visits. Although she loved the gentle bovine, Syldra wanted to raise more animals, asking Neil if he might sell chickens in the future. The handsome dealer said that once Syldra had a chicken coop on the farm, he'd get some in stock. In the evening of March 14th, Syldra invited Neil for some fun after supper.

Just before midday on March 20th, Syldra ventures to the river, meeting with Dunhill, who was coming from the other direction. He looked a little exhausted, probably having been to the next town over. "Ah, Syldra. I'm glad I ran into you! There's something I want to give you." "What's that Dunhill?" "I bought some at a bargain price in the neighbouring town. Look, it's a fish trap." Dunhill hands Syldra a batch of fish traps and they didn't look too sturdy in her eyes. "With these you can catch fish at fishing points. Many kinds of fish live here! Give it a try! Would you like me to give you a quick explanation of how to use them?" Syldra shook her head, wanting to get on with the day. "No thanks. I'll be okay." Dunhill tilted his head in a nodding fashion, fingers pinching the brim of his hat. "Okay, then I will take my leave. Good luck, Syldra." With Dunhill gone, Syldra located the trap points and set them securely in the cool water. Having done that, she went off to forage to kill some time. Syldra went back to her traps some hours later to find they hadn't caught much. The 3rd one had snagged 2 small shishamo. Close to 7pm, Syldra returned to the river, finding 3 more small shishamo had been caught. Luck hit at 7:13pm. Syldra's northern trap caught 5 tiger prawns. She only had two traps left and hoped she would have more luck tomorrow. Returning home, Syldra placed her quarry into the sink to be washed. Iroha stopped by and gave her a hand, seeing the weary look in Syldra's eyes. The blacksmith in training wasn't comfortable about gutting the fish, leaving that task to Syldra. With the fish seen to, Syldra freshened up before writing in her diary about the things she'd done.

The next morning Syldra was up early thanks to a good nights' sleep. She was just finishing her morning porridge when someone could be heard outside. "Good morning, Syldra. I'm coming in, ok?" Before Syldra had chance to protest, Dunhill came in, chipper as ever. She had to wonder what had made him so cheerful. "So, Syldra, how's your farm doing?" "It's good, thanks." "Wonderful. I came by because I've got something important to tell you. It's a bit sudden, but I decided to create a new festival for the town!" Syldra's eyes were alight with wonder, eager to hear what Dunhill had to say. "That's wonderful, Dunhill!" "Don't you think more people will want to come and live in our town if we have fun festivals? I'm going to create all kinds of festivals as the town grows, but I'm also counting on you, Syldra." "I understand." "Without further ado, let me present our first festival: the crop festival! There will be 4 divisions in the crop festival: vegetables, fruits, flowers and others. Pick one and do your best! And relax! All of the crops you can cultivate in town can be entered into the crop festival. I want lots of people to participate, so I made beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes based on difficulty. If you win in any of the classes, your farm's brand will improve, and the shipping value of crops will go up. Sounds both worthwhile and fun, huh? It would be great if you could enter as a representative of the town!" Syldra had to admit, Dunhill's idea was good.

If the value of her crops went up, she'd earn more money and could buy more animals. Plus it could help put Echo Town back on the map! Dunhill could see he'd aroused Syldra's curiosity as her eyes burned with determination. "I sure will!" She declared with a fierce nod of approval. Dunhill was pleased to hear Syldra was behind his plan, proceeding to give her more information. "The crop festival is held on the last day of each season from 12:00pm at the festival grounds. On the day, be sure to come and speak to me at the festival entrance just before 12:00pm, ok? You can't compete if you're late, so watch the time. Check your calendar if you're ever unsure about the date. Well then, I must be on my way. Sorry to barge in so early in the morning. Give it your best today!" Syldra breathed a sigh of relief as Dunhill left. She figured that the festival difficulty was based on quality of the crop. As usual Syldra did her morning chores then went to the river. Only 1 small shishamo had been trapped and Syldra felt a bit down. She'd hoped for more, but fishing was a game of patience and chance. Some hours later, one of the traps snared 2 red crabs! Syldra was almost jumping for joy. Later some small carp had wandered into a trap, no more than 5. One trap broke, leaving Syldra with a single trap to the north. Her luck improved with the capture of 4 small sweetfish, a basket clam, another small shishamo and 3 small char. Syldra headed home to prepare some of her catch to eat, and the rest for another day. After supper, Syldra checked her savings. For a while now she'd been setting some money aside to buy another cow.

The morning of March 23rd took its usual course, with the addition of feeding some wild pigs. Syldra discovered they were very fond of turnips. She stopped by Neil's shop in the late morning to pick up some fodder, noticing a spotted cow with a white collar. "Morning Neil. I'd like to buy this cow." Syldra set her hand on the said bovine's neck, smiling broadly. "Having another would really help me out." "All right. Give her a name and she's all yours, Syldra." Said farmer thought for a moment, running names through her head. "I'll call you Belle." Neil nods quietly, leading the cow out of the penn. Syldra then takes her home to meet Molly, hoping the girls would get along. Later in the early evening, Syldra took Molly and Belle to the animal sanctuary. Like the last visit, Neil kept his distance, observing Syldra as she snuggled with Belle to get the new family member used to her. Once Belle and Molly fell asleep after eating lots of grass, Syldra gave Neil some attention, not minding when he stripped her bare and loved her. His lust satisfied, Neil drove Syldra and her cows home. He returned after taking his animals home, snuggling with Syldra on the sofa. As much as she wanted it, Neil could not stay. Syldra went to bed that night weary from being loved. Her diary went unattended as she'd already wrote down about Belle earlier in the day. Syldra couldn't wait for the day her parents would visit, wondering how her little sister was doing with her gone.

Two days later, Syldra had just finished her breakfast when she heard Dunhill outside. "Syldra, good morning! I've got some great news!" Called farm girl trudged outside to see the old man with a busty, tan skinned woman and a little boy. They both had black hair and grey eyes. "Rejoice, Syldra. A new resident has moved into town." Syldra is indeed very happy to hear the news as the woman introduces herself. "Hello, Syldra. I am Rebecca. I hope we'll get along well." "Me too." Rebecca is warmed by Syldra's smile, turning to the boy. "This is my son. Say hello, come on!" The boy was a bit nervous but he was cheerful within seconds. "I'm Toni. Nice to meet you, Syldra!" "It's a pleasure to meet you, too." Syldra turned to Dunhill. "I was going to have these two live in the empty house in town, but we had that nice little coincidence. Because of the forge in that house, it's better that Iroha lives there." Syldra nodded energetically, not realising this raised a problem. "That means, however, that the two of them now have nowhere to live. Therefore, I think we should have a house built for them. Will you help us out?" Before Syldra could recover from the shock, Rebecca spoke up. "I'm an architect. I draw blueprints for things like buildings. I've already got blueprints that I was planning on using when building my own house, so we just need the right materials and somebody to put it together." Syldra nodded, knowing exactly what she would do. "I'll get the materials ready and have some contractors come over right away. Until your home is built, you can use my bed." Rebecca tries her hardest to argue but Syldra's mind was set and nobody was going to change it.

Syldra's hard-headedness amazes Dunhill but nonetheless he was proud of Syldra for making such a decision. With the plan made, Syldra got in touch with the best contractors in the next town, explaining she could get the materials soon. The contractors would arrive the next day so Syldra hurried to Iroha's house, asking her to turn some small wood and stones into the materials needed. That night, Syldra was shattered. Whilst she and Toni would be living under Syldra's roof, Rebecca insisted that she would cook all the meals while Syldra focussed on her jobs. Try as she might, Syldra could not get comfortable on the sofa as it seemed creaky. Out of curiosity she lifted the cushions and found her couch could be converted into a single bed! This meant she could hire someone to help her run the farm! For now though, Syldra had to focus on getting Rebecca and Toni's house built to the desired specifications. The next morning Rebecca informed Syldra that she had a studio at the side of her house, explaining how to use it. When she wasn't working on the farm, Syldra did what she could to help the builders who arrived to build the house. Come late evening, Syldra was shattered. She planned to recruit somebody soon to help out with the heavy workload. Rebecca helped her to make some posters offering interviews. A trip to the next town was in order once again. Syldra made a mental note to have words with Dunhill about spreading word that she was looking for a farm hand.

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><p>Let the mass update commence!<p> 


	4. The Fishing Farmhand

Chapter 4

The Fishing Farm Hand

It had been two days since Syldra met Rebecca and Toni. She was rudely awoken from her uncomfortable slumber by a little voice. "…up! Come on, wake up! I'm telling you to wake up!" Rubbing her tired eyes, Syldra obeyed the voice while mumbling about all the noise. Opening her eyes, she saw Alice and Aaron. "Hnhm. What's the big idea? I'm still sleepy." "What? You're tired?" Snapped Alice. "I took the time to wake you up, so come on! Show some gratitude!" Despite his sisters' foul mood, Aaron was cheery. "Syldra, good morning. The goddess that I talked to you about before has returned. Come with us to pay your respects." "…okay." "Right, we're flying to the peak!" With a bright flash the trio were at the mountain spring. The water was clear as ever. "Here we are!" Aaron chimed. "In front of the spring on the peak." "Hey, you. Put out your hand." Syldra didn't dare disobey Alice, holding out a shaky hand. Into it, Alice placed a turnip and Syldra looked at her, feeling more than a little confused. "Throw that into the spring." Said Alice. "Something good will happen, you'll see." Syldra nervously stepped closer to the spring, still a bit uneasy about the situation. That was until Alice taunted her. "Do it, come on! Or are you losing your nerve?" Syldra huffed at the little sprite, throwing the turnip daintily into the pond and it met the water with a plop. Syldra was momentarily blinded by a bright light.

When it dimmed, she could see a beautiful woman floating above the waters' surface, her hair and eyes a soft shade of green. She positively looked like a goddess. "Dum-Da-Da-DAA!" Syldra takes a few steps back, her eyes wide with shock. The mystery woman giggled at the look on Syldra's face. "Hee hee, I'm not surprised you're surprised! I'm the Harvest Goddess who lives in this land." Syldra stared in wonder at the being before her eyes, noticing her outfit was quite revealing in certain places. "I've been away for a while, but now my work in heavenly realm is finished and I'm back! You must be Syldra." "Y-Yes ma'am." "You look very promising! Quite lovely. Have the Harvest Sprites helped you like I asked?" "Yes ma'am." Syldra wasn't sure why she was addressing the Harvest Goddess like a lady army general but in truth, she was too nervous to say anything else. "They have? Great." The Harvest Goddess turned to the twins. "You've done very well." "Not at all, goddess. I have only been humbly serving you." Aaron folded his arms, face slightly sour. "You haven't done anything yet, sister." Alice quickly grew snippy, her tone threatening. "Did you say something?" "I mean… Y-You did almost everything sister!" Syldra couldn't help but notice how nervous Aaron became all of a sudden, feeling quite sorry for him. Alice never gave him any credit for the things he did. The Harvest Goddess didn't seem surprised by their behaviour, hands on her big hips.

She smiled ever so sweetly and Syldra thought it would be best not to get on her bad side. Alice and Aaron stopped bickering in time for the Harvest Goddess to continue speaking as she turned to Syldra. "Thank you so much. Keep up the good work, Syldra. As the goddess who lives in this land, I'll be here supporting you." "Thank you, Goddess." "If you want to talk with me for any reason, you can come to the spring and throw in an offering. No garbage, okay? I have my own refined tastes, after all. The same can be said for those living here in town! Only certain things will make certain people happy, so think carefully before giving gifts." Syldra gives a very enthusiastic nod, unable to wait to get the day started. Seeing her all peppy filled the Harvest Goddess with energy. "That's right. Just so you know, that turnip you just threw in is a big favourite of mine." Alice gave a sly smirk and Syldra knew what that meant. "I prepared that for you!" "You did? Thank you." "Not at all, Goddess. I have only been humbly serving you." Aaron frowned, his will diminished. "Sister…you'll do anything to score points?" Before a fight could start, the Harvest Goddess cleared her throat. "Let's get into the main event. I've called you here today because I need to ask something of you, Syldra." "Anything, Goddess." "It's good to see you're eager!" The Goddess grinned. "I'd like you to rebuild the town. It used to be a wonderful place. It pains me to watch it die." "Leave it to me, Harvest Goddess. An architect just moved into town. Once her home is built I'll get right to it, I promise." A sigh of relief floats from the Harvest Goddess, pleased Syldra was not the selfish type.

Syldra on the other hand didn't quite know what she was getting herself into. "Thank you, Syldra. I'm counting on you. Alice, Aaron, take Syldra home." "Yes Goddess." The twins chimed, standing to either side of the young farmer. In a flash Syldra was home some minutes before Rebecca and Toni woke up. Syldra thanked Rebecca warmly for the hearty breakfast and went on her way to start working. She finished her duties on the farm and headed out to the river. Removing the fish, her remaining trap broke. Now it was back to foraging for her meals. Having found a substantial amount of edible matter, with an unexpected hand from Toni, Syldra moved on to help the builders. Neil watched from his stall to see Syldra putting her back into moving some lumber around. As days went by, the house neared completion. Dunhill promised to spread word of a farm hand vacancy as far as he possibly could. At the weekend, Neil chipped in to help the build go faster. Half way into the next week, Syldra was almost flooded with replies to her posters. Ten people would be coming for interviews soon, which she made sure to note, would involve a physical trial and a test to see how the animals took to them. Syldra felt very nervous about the interviews so Rebecca gave her some pointers. By Friday, the house was complete. Syldra spent Thursday decorating the inside with Emma and Iroha as Neil had to work. Rebecca was pretty specific about the colour scheme.

The two storey house was white with raised sage green woodwork, a pine green roof and window boxes under most of the windows. A white picket fence surrounded the building as it rested north west of Neil's house. Syldra received endless praise from the townsfolk, Rebecca especially. Three days later, Syldra called upon the builders again, this time to build a Newspaper Carrier's house up on the hill near Iroha's house. Like last time, she would get all the materials for the construction. A day before the builders were due to arrive, Syldra was anxiously awaiting for the farm hand candidates to arrive for their interviews. They were coming from all over the place; one in particular lived in a fishing town some hundred odd miles away where his family worked a farm though it was small compared to Syldra's. Toni liked to come and play on the farm but today, he wasn't allowed to until late afternoon. Syldra had no doubt the boy would still show up despite being warned of punishment for doing so. Syldra busied herself feeding her 2 new chickens, Penny and Melany. Neil had helped her to put the coop up a day after Rebecca's house had been completed. The first 5 candidates, arriving every half hour, all pulled various muscles during the physical trial while 4 others failed to get on with the animals, Molly and the chickens to be exact. The last candidate, arriving at just gone 1pm, looked very promising with his beautiful tanned skin, rippling muscles and rugged figure. He was aged around 18 years old and about 5'10" in height. Syldra found him rather attractive with his shoulder length minty green hair and narrow purple eyes. On his shoulder rested a gardening fork.

Despite her attraction to this random male, Syldra was rather nervous about approaching him, noticing a scar over his nose. Syldra looked at a clipboard in her hand, noticing all names but one crossed off. "You must be…Aster Haeos…correct?" "I am. I take it the rest failed?" "I'm that easy to read eh? You've come prepared?" Aster gave a short nod, walking over to the badly tilled field Syldra had prepared a day earlier. She watched in silence as Aster slammed his fork into the ground and took up the nearby hoe. With a grunt of effort, he swung the tool fiercely and it left a mighty dent in the soil. Looking back to her notes, Syldra noticed that Aster was the young man from the fishing village. She figured he'd gotten so rugged with muscle by wrestling feisty fish daily since a young age. Syldra was so busy watching him she didn't notice Emma arriving with a basket of treats. "Well now doesn't he look promising?" Syldra reached for the heavens and Aster froze in place. "Goodness, Emma. Don't sneak up on me like that." "Sorry deary. You were a thousand miles away. So who is this?" Syldra would've answered if Aster didn't interrupt. "Pardon me, but how often do you fertilize these fields? And I don't just mean the plants." "I never thought to fertilize the fields themselves." "That would explain the poor quality of the soil. Do you have any fertilizer here at the moment?" "Yes, it's over in the storage shed. Please help yourself to anything you might need." 'For a fisherman he sure knows a lot about fields.'

Syldra came out of her thoughts to see Aster using the fork he'd brought along to rip open a fresh bag of fertilizer. He then turned the mixture into the soil with practised ease. Next he grabbed the largest watering can possible and filled it to the brim. Syldra almost fainted when she saw how his muscles half strained to heft the weight of the water. Yet Aster himself did not flinch at the heavy pull on his arm. With the ground now moist, Aster riddled the soil gently to release any and all nutrients into it. Most of all, he didn't appear to break a sweat! Aster was able to read Syldra like a book, making her flinch when he spoke. "What's the matter? Never seen a fisherman till fields before? I don't just fish for a living. My father has a small farm on the coast. I've worked the damn thing for as long as I can remember. A little field like this is nothing compared to what I've lived my life doing." "That would explain your knowledge on field improvement. Have a sit down and then it's time for the second part of your trial." Aster nodded and was about to sit down when the inevitable happened. Toni came barrelling onto the farm all excited to see people working. Syldra watched Aster very closely as he seemed in a state of shock. When Toni took a step forward, Aster would take a big one back…until he stepped on the tip of the hoe, sending the pole straight into his back. Emma went to shoo Toni away while Syldra knelt by Aster to see how badly he was hurt. "Are you okay?" "Nobody said anything about there being a kid in town." "Most people don't mind children. Here let me see." Try as she might, Syldra could not pull the white shirt over Aster's head. He was adamant about keeping it on.

In the end, Syldra gave up as the stubborn greenette stood to his full height, taking her along for the ride. Emma returned without Toni, taking the treats inside. With that done she left the farm. "How likely is it I'll be hired?" Syldra nearly choked on her own tongue, not used to Aster's mannerism just yet. "What do you mean?" "I regret to say I had to drag the family along. They're currently driving around what there is of the town and my mother is heavy with child. Father doesn't want to be here long and my stuff is in the car." "Right now, it's very likely I'll take you on regardless of your attitude towards children. I can have Toni kept away until you've settled." "Then I must call for the old fool." Syldra had nothing against meeting Aster's family, heading into the barn so she could prepare Molly and Belle. Both bovines were happily munching on some hay. "Come on girls. Let's give it one last try. I'm sure you'll like this one." Molly was very hesitant about going outside so Syldra took Belle first. She left the barn in time for a surprise. Her family had arrived! Syldra's father was a strong man with her every feature, no older than around 34, skin dark. Syldra's mother was a lovely woman, quite attractive with lavender hair and rose coloured eyes. Between them was a girl around 16 years of age with lavender hair and the same Emerald green eyes as Syldra. Aster was too busy speaking with somebody by phone to notice the new arrivals. "Mom! Dad! Cryska! You made it!"

Syldra vaulted over the fence and pounced on the man she called father. He laughed heartily and held her back. Syldra wouldn't admit it openly but she missed her family. Belle waddled curiously to the fence and nudged the nearest hand she could see. Cryska's. The girl jumped half a mile but settled to pet the spotted milk producing creature. "Wow, you have a cow, sis?" "Two actually. Molly's pretty shy of strangers. Aster? How's it going?" Called teen stalked over, his steps silent. "My old man will be here soon with the others. Company?" "Yes. This is my family. Honestly, I wasn't expecting them today. Mom, dad, Cryska, this is Aster. If all goes well, he'll be helping me out around the place." Syldra's father became immediately protective of his oldest daughter, arms tight around her waist. "And where pray tell will he sleep?" "Relax, daddy. A little while ago I discovered my sofa could be converted into a bed. Honestly, do you think every boy near me is after one thing and one alone?" Syldra's father softened but his grip remained. "Honey I…" "I know. You just want to protect me." Looking to Aster, Syldra noticed he wasn't the least bit offended by the accusation, his gaze on Belle. Syldra wriggled free from her father to take Aster into the barn where Molly waited. "Why'd you bring me in here?" "Because Belle isn't the problem. It's Molly. She doesn't like strangers much and 2 of the men who came here had their feet stomped on." "I see. She must've suffered young to adopt such an outlook on humans. Is it safe to approach?" "M-Maybe. Just take it slowly and hopefully she won't get startled." Aster stood patiently by the door as Syldra moved over to Molly.

Aster's purple eyes met with Molly's brown and he knew just how frightened she was. He moved slowly and quietly toward her while Syldra brushed Molly's side to calm her. Once in front of the petrified bovine, Aster lifted a hand to pet her cheek and she actively flinched away. Syldra paid very close attention to Aster's actions, especially when he removed his green padded gloves. "There now." He soothed. "You've nothing to fear, little one." Digging a hand into his pocket, Aster produced some oats and held them under Molly's nose. Molly was hesitant about the offer but Aster did not move. Instead he stood staring into her frightened brown orbs. To Syldra's surprise, Molly began to nibble on the grains in Aster's palm. He then tried again to pet her and she accepted his advance. Syldra could not believe what she'd just seen. "I don't believe it. How'd you?" "Basic animal psychology. I don't know how, but Molly was tortured as a calf. The abusers likely approached her with sweet grains like these and then hurt her. How'd she take to you?" "She trusted me from the get go. Neil couldn't understand why." "Each person has an aura that animals can sense. Yours is a soothing one and Molly is comforted by it. I do hope the cows back home will be okay when I'm gone." "Have you known them long?" "Since I was a babe. Took to me like a calf they did. Now enough of this, there are more animals to meet." Syldra felt Aster wasn't entirely comfortable opening up, leading him to the coop.

While Syldra went to fetch her chickens, Aster spent a moment getting to know Belle. She was eager for some of his oats, half wrestling to get into his pocket. Aster seemed used to the behaviour given how gentle he handled the creature. It pleased Syldra to see Belle enjoying herself, a chicken perched on each hand. "All right, here are Penny and Melany. I'll warn you, they do peck." Aster seemed pensive, if nothing else. He'd been more than happy to pet a cow. Syldra's family watched silently as Aster inched closer to the feathery egg laying critters. He flinched back when the bigger chicken lunged at him with intent to harm. "Penny! No that's naughty. You okay?" Aster nodded, nursing a nipped finger. "I'm fine. Chickens don't like me for some funny reason. I've never mistreated one so it can't be karma biting me up the rear." "I'll put them back in the coop for now. Best let them get used to you first I think." Aster returned to Belle just as a car slowly rolled onto the farm, the driver carelessly sounding the horn. Belle and the chickens freaked almost beyond control. Syldra's father went to help catch the flightless birds while Aster tried to calm Belle as she pushed him in a circle. "Damn it dad! The hell are you playing at?! These animals aren't used to machines!" The look on Syldra's face told Aster all he needed to know. His father was in for a clout that was for sure. The chickens were calmed and settled into the coop as Belle stopped her pacing. Out of the vehicle came a black haired red eyed man no older than Syldra's dad. From the front passenger seat ventured a purple eyed mint haired woman, her body round with child, also around 34.

Syldra's attention was drawn to the back of the car. From it came twins, a boy and a girl. They were duplicates of the man from head to toe in looks but lacked the apparent foul temper he had. The boy was a handsome devil, standing up to Aster's mid bicep. The girl seemed more timid, her black hair long, tied into curly pigtails and she sported a beauty spot to the bottom left of her left eye. She had less of a fringe than the boy, whose drifted over his right eye. Both looked to be Cryska's age. Neither of them liked the look Syldra donned. "All right, who's the twat who just honked that horn?" All fingers went to the driver and that's where Syldra went. Syldra's parents didn't see her temper often but when it lifted, she grew mildly violent. Aster didn't pity the man one bit when Syldra's hand met his cheek. "Frighten them again and you'll get more than a slap across your face." "Aster, who is this woman?" Questioned greenette opened his mouth to bite back but the red eyed girl pounced on him. "Aster! You're hurt! What happened?" "Calm down Uta! It's just a scratch. For your information you old sea dog, the lady who just belted you is my future employer. Serves you right for scaring the animals." Syldra figured Aster's father was the fisherman of the household given his attitude. She moved away from him to greet the lady who appeared to be Aster's mother. "Well now aren't you a dear? I'm sorry about Teig. He's not used to remote locations. I'm Najka Haeos." "Syldra Kunimi. And the twins?"

Najka gave a light chuckle, facing the questioned duo. The boy currently had his eyes on Cryska though he was being very discreet about getting close. Uta fussed endlessly over Aster's finger so he had little choice but to let her bandage it. "Uta! Zephyr! Don't be strangers, get over here and say hi!" Called twins did as they were told though Uta had to hauled over the fence and given a nudge by her big brother. Najka set a hand on her bulging stomach leaving Syldra a little concerned. "Syldra, this is Zephyr and Uta. Aster's younger brother and sister." Syldra bowed so the twins did the same. Zephyr appeared to be quite a charmer as he took Syldra's hand. "I never expected to see such a pretty girl running a farm all by herself." Aster was behind Zephyr in the blink of an eye, his hand meeting the back of Zephyr's head. "Ow! Aster!" "No flirting with my new boss. Honestly Zephyr, you'd hit on a shark if it didn't try to eat you." "Sourpuss." "Boys." Both lads went deathly silent at the rising of Najka's voice. "Behave in front of Syldra. Grown boys, both of you and you still bicker. Syldra dear, might I have a word with you? Somewhere quiet." "Of course Najka. I'm sure Molly won't mind the company." Aster watched warily as Syldra led his mother to the barn. Syldra left Najka by the door to grab two hooks to move some bales of hay. "There we go. It's not the best chair in the world." "It's fine, lovely. 'Tis a nice farm you have here. Ours is tiny compared to this." Molly gazed curiously at the big lady as Syldra helped her to sit down with gentle hands. To Syldra's surprise Molly plodded over to say hello. "What a pretty girl you are." "This is Molly. It's weird. She doesn't often approach strangers."

"I have a way with animals, child. Always have since I was a girl. I just wanted to ask you to look after my boy. Aster's had it hard ever since he was young. He'll come across as harsh most times but he means well. And just recently he split from his girlfriend. We're still unsure why. But ever since then Aster's been none too fond of young children. Teenagers he can handle no problem." "Maybe something happened to him. How long ago did they break up?" "About 3 months ago. We didn't see Aster for a good week or so but since coming home he's been withdrawn. Always the quiet one he was since Zephyr and Uta came along. Given time and the right handling he's quite a sweetheart. Aster might not show it but he loves his family." Syldra's face turned slightly bitter as she spoke. "Except his father." "Aye girl. You've a keen eye. Teig has bullied Aster for long years, telling him he's no man if he can't handle a fishing boat." Najka became sad at a particular memory that played in her mind. "He…almost drowned when Teig took him out at the tender age of ten. Couldn't keep a handle on the net, see." "Do all boys in your village go through such things, Najka?" "No. Just my Aster. Teig's an old fashioned man. If a boy can't earn his keep, he'll never be a man. That's why I set up the farm. So he can prove Teig wrong. After that, I forbade Teig to take Zephyr out to sea. I feared I'd lose my darling boy." "Don't worry Najka. Aster will be safe here with me I promise."

All worry Najka had left her as she stood up with Syldra's help. Molly stuck by Najka, allowing the soon to be mother to lean on her back for support. Zephyr was beside his mother faster than lightning could strike while Aster appeared to be arguing with Teig, soon receiving a sharp back handed slap. Syldra decided against getting involved, primarily due to the hold Najka had on her hand. "You dare speak to your father like that boy?" "It's no more than what you deserve after how you've treated me. Never appreciated anything I did for mother. Worked that farm alone I did while she carried my siblings. And what did you do? You fucked off on that beloved boat of yours for damn near two years! I honestly don't know how mother puts up with you!" "Mind your tongue boy! You're not too old for the belt." "Aye, that I'm not am I? Because in your eyes I'll forever be a child. A child who wasn't ready for the rush of the sea, one who you left to almost drown. Well you won't have to put with me any longer. And don't think my brother is going out on that death trap you call a boat. I'd be dead before that happens." Luckily for everyone Neil arrived which stopped the fight from getting worse. "Am I interrupting something?" "No Neil. You're just in time. Could you help Aster to take his stuff inside please? Just set it down by the couch and we'll sort it later." Aster clashed eyes with Neil, taking an immediately disliking to him but he didn't argue about getting help to move his belongings. Syldra could see Zephyr wanted to say something but feared he'd be punished so she offered him comfort he seemed to not want. There was understanding in his eyes, knowledge beyond his human years.

Once Aster's stuff was in the house he waited for the inevitable. It'd be painful for Zephyr and Uta to leave him behind. With a grunt of displeasure he opened his arms for the twins and they dove right into them, leaving him winded. "Come now, ya scamps. I may be half a world away but you can still write letters. If I can find the time I'll respond." "You do realise we'll have to work harder now right?" "And did I raise you to be a whiny little bitch, Zephyr?" "N-No sir." "A little hard work never hurt nobody." The slamming of a car door told Najka she didn't have much time, being more gentle about her approach. Tears were there in Aster's eyes but he refused to let them fall. He was too proud for such things. Zephyr and Uta moved aside so their mother could get a hug in. "You take care of this girl, Aster. Don't worry about us, we'll get by somehow." "Go on, mother. Don't make him any angrier than he already is." Najka had expected the cold shoulder but she knew her eldest son had no intention of being overly harsh as he pushed her towards the car. Zephyr got into the vehicle without a fuss after shaking Aster's hand and promising to look after the farm. Uta was more reluctant to let her brother go. "Unhand me Uta. You must go." "But brother…what will we do without you?" "You can and must make the most of every day you have. Mother is getting no younger and the baby will arrive soon. You and Zephyr are all she has left. Now get in that car or you'll have a rosy backside."

Syldra could see what Najka meant as she watched Aster bidding farewell to his family. She fought back a laugh as he was pinned through the car window for a goodbye kiss by his mother, protesting that she was embarrassing him. Aster said nothing to Teig. He only gave the man a glare that warned him not to abuse his siblings. Hana's arrival was ill timed as Teig was reversing to leave the farm at speed. Syldra's dad was quick to catch the elderly lady as she stumbled back while Aster yelled unpleasant things at the back of the retreating car. Neil felt out of place so he vacated the farm without a word. "Damned foul swine that Teig. I agree with you, Aster. I'm dumbfounded at how your mother can stand the bastard. Are you all right Hana old girl?" Hana grumbled a little as she staggered to her feet. "I'm fine, Temujin. Though we're surprised to see you home, lad." "I wanted to see how my darling girl was getting on, that's all Hana. Cryska, this is Hana. She runs the General Store here in town." Said girl was very nervous, especially around Aster as he was still very annoyed. She mumbled a quiet hello and clung to Syldra's arm. "Well aren't you a darling? This young man must be the new boy we've been so eager to meet?" "Well he's none too keen to see Toni again. I must speak with Rebecca later about keeping the boy off the farm for a while." Given his current foul mood Aster wasn't much for talking, settling for giving a small nod and Hana understood. He had the heart to help Temujin as he led Hana toward the house. "Well Syldra. Looks like you've got your hands full, dear." "I'll be fine mom. Come on, let's go and get a bite to eat."

Inside the house they found Hana sitting gleefully on the sofa while Aster and Temujin manoeuvred the boxes. Two crates were filled with food. "Now then let's make a start on tidying up around here. Mom, could you pop the kettle on?" "Of course sweetie. My, those apples look lovely. Did you grow these, Aster?" Said young man remained quiet but there was a hint of pink on his cheeks. "No need to be so shy, dear. We won't bite." Aster remained silent, helping Syldra to fill the fridge. As luck would have it, Rebecca came by just as the fridge was closed. "Oh, hi Rebecca." "Sorry to come barging in, Syldra. But I wanted to apologise about earlier. I'll make sure Toni doesn't come waltzing in like he owns the place." "It's fine. Though he did give Aster quite a fright. Toni can come over once he's settled down. Aster, this is Rebecca. She and Toni moved into town a little while ago." Again Aster just nodded in greeting but Syldra couldn't say for sure if he was nervous. Soon she noticed two apple tree saplings near the door. "Who bought the trees?" "I did." It was Aster to speak, his face stern. "Thought you might want to challenge more than just flowers and veg." "Thanks. That's very sweet of you, Aster." In response Aster just let out a huff of air, grabbing a nearby fishing rod and two buckets. "Where are you going?" "I noticed you have a small dock on your farm by a river. I figured my duties won't start until tomorrow so I was gonna go catch dinner." "Okay. But be careful." "Yes mom."

If Aster hadn't gotten out the door in time Syldra would've belted him so hard he'd feel it for a week. Syldra's parents had to admit, their daughter was all grown up now. Sadly Rebecca couldn't stay but she had the decency to introduce herself. Cryska appeared to have her eyes on the basket Emma had dropped off so Syldra went to see what the motherly shipper had made. She noted that most of the treats had apples in them. "Typical Emma. Loves her apples a bit too much that woman." "She's always been that way, Syldra. Ever since we were kids Emma had an obsession with apples. Red ones in particular. Every autumn she'd have me climb any apple tree we came across. Still got scars from falling out of a few. So Syldra, what do you plan to do about your helper?" Syldra looked at Temujin with confusion showing in her eyes. "What do you mean, dad?" "Well for starters, he's ruder than a displeased pig and none too fond of kids." "Honestly I think Aster will come around in his own time. With Teig gone he should calm down a bit. Let's give him a chance, righto?" "All right but if he hurts you, I'll be onto him." Syldra's mother brightened the mood with some sweet tea, asking somebody to take a cup out to Aster. With her sister still so shy, Syldra went to deliver it herself. From the door she could see the foul tempered greenette sitting at the dock, rod in hand as he waited for a bite. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, Syldra strode across the field that was the farm, arriving at the dock in no time. Aster looked hastily to his side as he heard a gentle clatter, spying Syldra next to him. "Mom thought you might be thirsty."

Aster sat staring at Syldra for a moment until something took the bait on the fishing hook. Syldra stood back as Aster battled with whatever he'd snagged but it almost yanked him into the river. Without a second thought Syldra took a firm hold of the rod and did her best to help reel in the feisty fish. She and Aster fell back as something long and slimy came hurtling through the air, landing underneath him in a state of mild shock. Aster however gave chase as his catch tried slithering away. It had been an eel on the line, a very big one. "Oh no you don't! Come back here!" Although his lungs heaved for air, Aster pounced on the slithery critter, taking a firm hold of the eel just behind the head before securing his fingers in the gills. Syldra came out of her own little world to see Aster panting for air. "Hope you like eel. There's enough on this beast to last a few days." "I've never tried eel. Nor have I gutted one." "On with ya now. There's plenty more here to catch than one eel." Syldra decided it was best to leave Aster alone for the time being. Returning to the house she found her family enjoying a nice chat with Hana. "You okay Syldra? Looks like a tornado hit you." "Try a flying Aster on the tail of a rogue eel. I'm gonna get cleaned up." "All right dear. Take your time, there's no rush. Did he get the eel?" "Yeah. A real big one." Syldra left the room in silence, wondering if her adoration with Aster would reach the point where she actually fell in love with him.

Syldra came out of the shower some twenty minutes later to find Aster had returned with a bucket filled with fish. He was currently gutting the large eel. Syldra also noticed her family missing. "They went to take Hana home." "Oh, okay. Are all eels that feisty?" "Couldn't say. I haven't caught many down by the coast. Will your family be staying for dinner?" "I assume so. My parents aren't the type to pay flying visits. Do you need any help?" "Unless you fancy taking a second shower you'll keep back." Syldra took that as a no and sat on the sofa to await her family's return. They weren't gone long but by then Aster had finished gutting the eel and was now preparing it for cooking and preserving. "So dad." Syldra started. "How are things back home?" "Things are fine with us. Before I forget, the lady across the way wanted us to give you these eggs." From the bag around his waist Temujin revealed two shiny black eggs wrapped up warm. "What are they?" "Silkie eggs, Syldra. Just put them in your coop and the chickens will do the rest. They'll hatch soon apparently." "But…what's the difference between Silkie chickens and regular chickens?" "Besides their colour, Silkie chickens produce more nutritious eggs." Syldra took the eggs gladly and hurried to her coop. Penny couldn't wait to sit on the vessels, wagging her tail feathers happily. Returning to the house Syldra sat down with a sigh of relief. It wasn't often she got to relax. "Exhausted already Syldra?" "Dad, I've worked this farm alone since early February. Of course I'm exhausted. On top of the farm, I'm trying to help rebuild the town. Tomorrow the builders will be back to start making a Newspaper Carrier's house."

Syldra's parents were filled with pride just hearing how much she was doing for the town. She would glance to Aster occasionally and he would stop stiff, almost as if he could feel Syldra's eyes on him. No more than 45 minutes later, dinner was ready. While Aster set a plate in front of Temujin, Karla and Cryska, Syldra made some drinks for everyone. Having lived his whole life by the sea, Aster was well used to eating seafood and he carefully observed how the others reacted. Cryska was the only one who didn't seem too keen on the eel and she quickly picked up on Aster staring at her yet he didn't seem angry. "Something wrong Cryska? You've hardly touched your dinner." The girl in question looked to Temujin with frightened eyes. Swallowing the mouthful of food he had, Aster spoke up while trying not to sound too harsh. "Eel isn't for everyone. It's something of an acquired taste." Cryska was relieved to not be scolded, trying her best to ignore the eel on her plate to eat the rest of the meal. So that nothing went to waste, Syldra took the meat from Cryska's plate all while soothing the girl. After dinner they all sat down though Aster chose to do so some way from the small family. Dunhill paid a brief visit, noticing Aster off in the far corner of the room. He left them all in peace after catching up with Temujin. The evening was slowly rolling in and with it, the hour Syldra's family would leave the farm. That night Syldra went to bed with a light heart.

Syldra was woken up the next morning by Cryska cuddling her. Today her family would be going home and Syldra didn't want to get out of bed. By the time she got dressed, Aster was already up and cooking breakfast. Temujin and Karla were sat at the table patiently waiting. Meeting her fathers' eyes, Syldra knew he didn't want to leave but with nowhere to stay there was little choice. After breakfast, Aster got started on prepping some fields for the next batch of crops, leaving Syldra alone with her family apparently out of respect. She spent the morning walking around town with them before they decided to head home just after midday. Aster joined her to see the trio off at the exit above Emma's house. He stood silently as Syldra was embraced by her parents, Cryska waiting her turn. Syldra's efforts not to cry were in vain the second she held her little sister. "You be a good girl for mom and dad. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." "I don't want to go. I wanna stay here with you." "I know Cryska but I've nowhere for you to sleep. Maybe once we've got an inn." "Do you really mean it sis?" Cryska's eyes were pleading and Syldra knew the matter meant a lot to the girl. "Of course. Having an inn means Aster will have somewhere proper to stay then we can have the house to ourselves in the evening." Aster let out a fairly suspicious cough, letting Syldra know she'd stalled long enough and that she had work to do. Temujin had to pry Cryska away from Syldra just so they could leave. "I'll write to you soon, dad. Take care out on the road." "All right, Syldra. I'm sure we'll get home fine. As for you young man." Temujin turned to Aster. "Look after my daughter." "Aye sir."

To Syldra's relief Aster shook her father's hand and even let her mother hug him. Cryska meekly waved to Aster so he gave a small wave back. Once they were out of sight, Syldra shattered so Aster had to carry her back to the farm, settling the green eyed farmer in her bed. "Stay. I can handle the farm." "But the contractors…" "I'll explain to them you need some peace. Surely they'll understand." Aster left before Syldra could try to argue further. Emma stopped by briefly having heard how upset Syldra was, giving her the comfort she needed. Iroha paid a visit in the early evening, uneasy around Aster who eyed her curiously. Aster returned when the sky started to turn dark, finding Syldra at the oven cooking supper. How long would it be, he thought to himself, before the young farmer wormed their way into his heart? Aster would never openly admit it but he did find Syldra very attractive. The wounds from his previous relationship were still fresh, scolding himself for even remotely thinking of falling in love again. Yet Aster couldn't help it. Syldra was kind to him despite his reluctance to bond. She treated him no less than the other people in town. They retired close to eleven pm but Aster couldn't find the comfort to sleep. Thoughts of both Syldra and Iroha clouded his tired mind. Aster peered innocently into Syldra's room, finding she'd cried herself to sleep. He wasn't sure why, but the sight of tearstains urged him to kiss the grieving farmer on the forehead.


	5. Meet Tina!

Chapter 5

Meet Tina!

In no time at all April 6th arrived. Life was much easier on the farm now that Syldra had Aster to help out. He did most of the strenuous work like tilling the fields and hauling in the fish traps Syldra set at the river. Aster also appeared quite fond of fishing despite the struggle he'd had with the eel. Over the days he'd silently supported Syldra through the pain of her family leaving. In the early evening Syldra walked into her house, finding Aster at the oven. Numerous times she'd scolded him for cooking after doing heavy work but he'd just shrug and carry on. Yet Syldra felt he meant no harm despite being antisocial and oddly, scared of young children. She was most curious as to what had planted such a fear in him. Experiences involving children weren't too traumatic. Syldra thought back to when Najka mentioned him having broken up with his girlfriend. Why had he done so? Several scenarios ran through Syldra's mind whenever she tried to figure it out. Aster obviously hadn't always been so cold towards others and probably hadn't always been frightened of kids. Perhaps his lover bore him a child and he didn't want it? Had she died during birth, taking the kid with her? Or was Aster already a father and not told his parents? Did he witness the death of his child should this be the case? Syldra wanted so badly to ask but felt Aster would never give her a straight answer. They barely knew each other, after all.

Aster had most of his attention on the supper due to wielding a knife but he would glance at Syldra often noticing a shift in her behaviour. Little that he knew, Syldra had been having an affair with Neil long before he arrived, and it was quite a sexual one. It was obvious that Aster despised the animal keeper, but for what reason? The reason for this behaviour had also confused Syldra. She could only hope the boys would eventually learn to get along. Syldra looked uneasy on her feet as she wobbled, reaching to the table for support. Any other day, Aster would never have cared. But today, Syldra had given him reason to. She'd been sick that morning and almost collapsed onto him twice, giving her a perfect opportunity to feel his muscles. Time seemed to slow down as Syldra keeled over and hit the floor before Aster had chance to move. Dropping the knife, he crashed to the ground next to Syldra and cradled her in his arms. Shaking the farmer heralded no response. Syldra was still alive, her heart beat thumping against Aster's chest as he panicked, not knowing what to do. He tried shaking her again, harder this time but still she would not wake. "Syldra! Syldra, wake up! Oh, gods, what do I do?!" By some strange stroke of luck, Emma came running inside. She'd been worried about Syldra for a while. The motherly shipper assessed the situation before her, seeing the knife Aster had been using on the floor, discarded. To her it looked like Syldra took a tumble.

Aster panicked more, knowing what Emma must be thinking. His body shook in response to all the emotions running wild inside him, easing when Emma set a careful hand on his tense shoulder. "Aster, how long has she been passed out for?" "Around ten minutes at best. She just collapsed. I had no chance to catch her." "All right, calm down. Help me get her to the car. I'll take Syldra to the hospital in the next town over. You stay here and look after things. I can't say how soon we'll be back." With a grunt of strain, Aster carried Syldra bridal style to Emma's car, sitting the unconscious farmer in the front passenger seat, buckling the seatbelt so Emma wouldn't have to. As Emma drove away, Dunhill and Hana came out of their houses. They approached Aster with intent to know what was going on, so he told them all he knew. The two elders were very worried about Syldra's sudden poor state of health. Dunhill took it upon himself to tell Rebecca and Toni. Neil was currently out of town on business. Aster went back to the farm with a heavy heart and ventured into the barn. Molly and Belle became quite distressed, clearly sensing Aster's unease. He sat with them all night, only leaving to eat and go to the bathroom. Iroha had stopped by to give her support only to have Aster almost squeeze the air out of her. Such behaviour was out of character for the tall greenette but Iroha understood that he was just scared and needed somebody to console him. All Aster could do was pray for Syldra to be fine. He couldn't lose his job now having only just got it. Molly and Belle huddled around Aster to keep him warm when he finally gave in to sleep.

Early next morning, Aster woke up to hear somebody calling for him. He hadn't realised he'd fallen asleep in the barn with Molly and Belle, hoping they'd be calmer. Stepping outside Aster cracked his stiff joints and rolled his aching shoulders. He saw Emma standing by the house, approaching her tiredly. "What time's it?" Emma faced Aster with hands on her hips in a scolding fashion. "I'd think the time would be the least of your worries, Aster. You didn't sleep in the barn did you?" "Must've drifted off while comforting the cows. Is Syldra OK?" Emma seemed hesitant, stepping back ever so slightly. "It's best you go talk with her, Aster. She's tucked up in bed right now and is not to get out of it unless necessary." Before Aster could ask any more questions, Emma left the farm. Shrugging his still weary shoulders, Aster stepped into the house, finding Syldra lying face up in bed. She looked a mess, her face pale. "…Hey. Emma said we need to talk. Wanna tell me what the hell is going on?" Syldra tiredly turned her head, eyes heavy. "…Aster…? There's…straw in your hair. They must've been worried." Aster mentally cursed how scruffy he looked, plucking the afore mentioned straw from his hair. "Yeah. I had to stay with 'em for a while and eventually fell asleep. What did the doctor say, Syldra?" Questioned woman refused to meet Aster's eyes and that ticked him off but he remained calm. Blowing his lid would do little to help the situation. Syldra had every right to be nervous.

Heaving a sigh, Aster moved closer to the bed with care not to look too angry. "Dodging the issue won't make it go away, Syldra. If it makes you feel any better, I was worried too. I still am. You outright collapsed in front of me and hadn't been sturdy on your feet all day." "I'm sorry Aster." She sobbed. "I don't mean no wrong. I'm just scared." Aster folded his arms tightly, a gesture he often used to show he would not display any violence. This comforted Syldra a little. Gripping the sheets, she took a deep breath. "The doctor says I'm pregnant. About two months at best." "And you didn't know? See the signs?" Aster didn't know how to feel. Betrayed? Angry? Let down? Disappointed that it was not he that knocked the farmer up? Aster forced himself to stay calm so Syldra could continue. "No. I've run myself ragged with the farm to notice any changes." Out of nowhere, Neil came bursting into the room, drenched in sweat. Aster had never liked Neil since laying eyes on him. Neil wasn't pleased to have Aster blocking his path to Syldra. "Step aside, Aster." Neil growled, holding no venom back from his voice. "Why don't you back off? Syldra needs to rest so beat it buster." Syldra grew tired of the argument, weakly tugging Aster's trouser leg, thus distracting the greenette. "It's okay, Aster. I requested for Neil to come. Please give us some privacy. Go tell Molly I'm home." Aster was reluctant but he respected Syldra's wish, knocking Neil's shoulder on his way out. "Are you feeling OK Syldra? Emma said you passed out yesterday." "Yeah. I should be okay. Neil, the reason I collapsed yesterday evening. I…I'm pregnant."

Neil's face drained of all colour. Neither he nor Syldra knew Aster was listening at the door. The news was obviously hard to take in. Neil swallowed thickly and helped Syldra to sit up on her request. "How…far are you?" "Around two months. There's no doubt, it's yours, Neil." Said young man looked away, knowing he was about to break Syldra's heart in two. "I…I can't. I'm not ready. Neither are you, Syldra. I'm sorry, I should've been more careful. I…guess Emma knows?" Syldra nodded weakly, a lump in her throat. Deep down she knew Neil wouldn't want the child. But he was right. She'd just started running the farm and couldn't afford having a baby so soon. "It's okay, Neil. I'm to blame as much as you are. Call it stupid, but I already arranged to have it terminated. Somehow, I knew you'd confess to not being ready. You're right, I'm not either. I've got a town to build before I can think of having a child. Would you…come with me?" "I wish I could Syldra but I'm needed out of town. The dealer I get my animals from needs help." Syldra wasn't at all let down, gripping Neil's hand to comfort him. Lucky for him Aster was in the barn when he left otherwise he'd likely be killed. Syldra spent the rest of her day with Iroha for company. Hanna stopped by briefly with some treats she'd made that morning. Aster kept his distance for fear of losing his temper. But who was he really mad at? Syldra for being so careless? Neil for taking advantage of her? Or himself for not being able to protect his employer?

Two days later, Emma took Syldra back to the hospital to have the baby terminated. Aster had been giving Neil evil looks ever since he found out about him being the one who knocked Syldra up. That evening Syldra paid Neil a visit. He was white as a sheet, expecting to see Aster instead. He led Syldra inside and helped her to sit down before making some tea. Setting the cups on the table he sat a seat away from the young farmer. "So…it's done then?" Even though Neil tried to hide his nerves they showed when he spoke, hands trembling. "Yeah. I think…Aster knows it was you, Neil. He's been quite aggressive towards you the past few days." "Possibly. Not like he needed a reason to hate me anyway. Syldra, don't take this the wrong way but…I think it's best we stop this charade. I can't…don't want to hurt you like this again. You're a very sweet girl and you deserve better. I'm happy to just be your friend, if you'll allow me to be." Syldra nodded in agreement. Ending their affair was for the best. Having Neil as a friend was enough. Syldra spent no more than an hour with Neil before returning home. Surely Aster would be getting impatient waiting for her to return home. She found him sitting on the sofa, oven untouched. Aster didn't need to be told where she'd been, pushing himself up without a word. Syldra grabbed Aster's arm, trying to get a sense of what he was feeling. His eyes portrayed a look of betrayal. 'It's not like my love life is any of his business.' Syldra thought bitterly. Aster had no right to play the victim. Sparing him no further thought, Syldra went into her room and didn't come back out. How long would she sulk for? Aster couldn't say.

Grabbing some buckets, he went out the door and walked to the river. With practised ease, Aster emptied the traps of caught fish and set them back into the water. Iroha happened by him just sitting on a log. She thought to try and talk to Aster but fear took over, leaving the area with haste. Aster hadn't been unaware of Iroha's presence. But she was right to leave. He didn't feel in the mood for company at present, returning to the farm with the buckets. Returning to town, Aster caught sight of the newspaper carrier's house. It would be finished soon if the weather stayed clear. Entering the house, Aster saw signs that Syldra had been out of her room for a drink. Shrugging it to one side, he gutted all the fish and stored the majority in the freezer, putting only two in the fridge. While washing his hands of fish juices, Aster realised just how stupid he was being. Syldra had obviously hit things off with Neil before he came to town. Now feeling incredibly guilty, Aster wrote a note and left it on Syldra's bedside table. He couldn't say if she was sleeping. The covers hid any trace of her eyes. Syldra tensed when she felt a hand running down her side, only looking after the door closed with a quiet click. Rolling over, Syldra found the note, swallowing another lump in her throat at what Aster had written. She'd expected the content to be of a scolding nature but instead it was a note of apology. Feeling sleepy, Syldra closed her eyes to the world, wondering what the next day had to offer.

April 15th saw the newspaper carrier house finished. With it built, somebody would soon come to live in it. The building had two floors to it, one for work and the other for living. Outside was a mix of white and brown with lattice fencing, sitting behind Neil's house. Early the next morning Syldra heard somebody outside. "Excuse me, Syldra. May I have word?" "Come in." it was Dunhill who called, striding into the house. "Hello, Syldra. I have something very important to talk to you about." This kind of talk was not expected of Dunhill, garnering all of Syldra's attention. "What's up, Dunhill?" "Syldra… How would you like to work with me to revitalize this town?" "What?! Really?!" Syldra wasn't sure she was capable of the task, but decided to hear Dunhill out. "The things you've been doing over the past months or so have made me think seriously about restoring this town. But I couldn't come up with anything until you blazed a trail." "What do you mean? I haven't done anything." Dunhill gently set his hands on Syldra's shoulders and smiled. "When you had that house built for Rebecca, I was truly amazed by your organisation skills. There's no doubt about it! You're the one to rebuild this town!" Syldra wasn't sure she could handle such a big responsibility. But she did want to see the town recover from the slump it was in. If nothing was done the town would cease to exist entirely and that was the last thing Syldra wanted to have happen. Right now she was feeling really overwhelmed. She fidgeted a little until Aster walked in carrying two buckets full of fish. The look on her face was sure to bribe some kind of smart remark from the farmhand.

"What's with that face? Someone slap you with a frozen tuna?" Syldra snapped around having not heard Aster walking in, her cheeks flushed red. "Aster?! Well…Dunhill wants me to help him rebuild the town. It seems a bit much but…I really want to do something for the people." Setting the buckets down, Aster gripped Syldra's shoulders tightly. "So do it. I'm not going anywhere so I'll do what I can to help. I hate ghost towns. And this place deserves the attention we can all give it." "All right, Aster. With you at my side I'm certain we'll get it done." Dunhill was pleased that Aster managed to give Syldra the nudge she needed, pulling out a book. "This is a revitalization plan that the people of our town came up with. We call it the "Town Restoration"!" It shocks Syldra to hear a plan had already been made. Dunhill coughed a little before continuing. "If you can implement the things written in this plan, the town will certainly recover its old vitality." "Okay. I'll try my best." "Syldra." Dunhill sighed. "I've watched many people move out of this town. I can't bear any more sad farewells like that! I'm happy that over the past two months our population has increased slightly. We have momentum! I don't want to waste it! I want you, Aster and all the other newcomers in town to feel glad they came here!" "I understand, Dunhill." Syldra turns back to Aster and he smiled a little and squeezed her shoulder. He'd always be there no matter what happened. That was clear for anyone to see. Dunhill waited until Syldra's attention was back on him before carrying on.

"For the town restoration to happen, I need your help! I'm counting on you, Syldra! You too, Aster. Here's what needs to be done!" Syldra takes the book from Dunhill and gave it a once over. Filled with new resolve, she faced Dunhill proudly. "I'll make sure it gets done. You have my word." "Oh, thank you, Syldra!" Dunhill gushed, truly happy to have his dream realised. "I'm so glad to hear you say that!" "No worries. Leave it to me." Dunhill straightened his coat and hat while recomposing himself. "There are five stages to pass until the town will be finished. We'll handle this one stage at a time. Most of the tasks are placing buildings and amenities around town. Our goal is to draw people who moved away back to town, and also attract new residents." Syldra nods enthusiastically making Aster worry a little. "This must seem like a lot of work! But I'm counting on you!" "It's fine, honest." "Well, I'll be going now. See you later, Syldra." With Dunhill gone, Aster and Syldra made a start on dinner. Afterwards they looked at the requirements for part one of the town restoration. It didn't seem like much, five ball topiaries, 3 wooden benches for the elderly to sit on and ten streetlights so that the town was lit at night. A few trips to the next town were in order. Syldra would be putting her money into this project having received no funding from Dunhill. It wouldn't come cheap but Syldra was determined to get the town rebuilt regardless of expenses. She and Aster both wondered how long it would be before the town would have an inn again. They went about the rest of the day filled with excitement but also worry for their families.

It was early in the morning of April 18th when Syldra heard someone outside. Aster was currently in the shower. "Good morning, Syldra! I'm coming in!" 'Isn't that Dunhill?' The familiar old man was indeed visiting, a big smile on his face as he strode into the house. "Good news, Syldra! A new resident has moved into town!" "Really?! Aster, get outta the shower!" A distant yell of "I'm coming, bitch!" made Syldra sigh. "I've brought her here to introduce her to you. You can come inside now!" A short haired brunette came to Dunhill's call, her Jade green eyes shining. She was cute, fond of orange and wore a lucky clover hair pin. Figure wise, she couldn't hold a candle to Syldra with her petite proportions. "Hi there Syldra. You're the one who had my home built?" "Yeah. I helped out where I could." Syldra's bashful side was coming out and the girl grinned. "It's totally wonderful! I love it!" "I'm glad you like it." The girl giggled and wiggled her hips a little. "Sorry, of course. You don't even know who I am! My name's Tina. I work in deliveries, and reporting too! I'll do whatever it takes to get the scoop, so if you have some info, just let me know." Syldra gave a cheerful nod, hearing a door closing nearby. "I've just got a feeling that something is going to happen in this town. Quite likely centred around you! I can't wait to see what's going to happen here!" Dunhill stepped forward, a hand on Tina's shoulder. "That takes care of the self-introductions."

Syldra noticed that Dunhill's words slowed, looking to her side. Tina had gone bright red seeing Aster in nothing but a towel, his skin still wet. Syldra also went a shade of pink. "A-Aster?! The hell?! Get some clothes on!" "You told me to get out of the shower, giving no indication somebody else was here. I can't hear a thing with the water running. Besides, you've caught me in my small clothes before." A faint blush accompanied Aster's revelation, leaving Tina and Dunhill lost for words. The old man soon recovered. "I've delivered the newspapers until now, but Tina is going to take over those duties." "Delivering the newspapers will give me a chance to research articles! Perfect, and I get paid for it too!" "That's all we wanted to say, anyway. Sorry for coming by so early in the morning. Keep up the good work!" Dunhill left first, leaving Tina to catch up. "Okay, Syldra, Aster. See you again. Soon I hope." Before leaving, Tina glanced once more at Aster. Once the girl was gone, Syldra slapped Aster hard on the arm and went to check on the animals. Molly, Belle and the chickens were glad to be outside. Returning to the house, Syldra made a start on making an apricot pie. Aster made several trips from the yard with buckets full of creamy milk. Next he picked the ripe crops and put them into crates for sorting. Aster wasn't really sure why, but watching Syldra working in the kitchen made his heart go boom. Could it be that he was falling in love already?

Later in the afternoon, Syldra was cooking dinner when she heard somebody outside. It wasn't Aster because Syldra had sent him to give Tina some milk, eggs and the pie she'd baked just a few minutes ago. "Good afternoon, Syldra! I'm coming in, OK?" Typically it was Dunhill again, catching a whiff of the food. "My, that smells delicious! So, Syldra, how's your farm doing?" Syldra wiped her hands on the apron before responding. "Good thanks." "I came by to tell you about a new festival that I decided to throw." "Ok. Sounds great." "And that festival is…the chicken festival! The festival is all about showing off chickens and judging them on quality. Just like the crop festival, class and brand are also featured in the chicken festival. If you win, the shipping price of egg related items goes up! It would be great if you could enter as a representative of the town!" "I'll definitely make the time to enter." Hearing that pleased Dunhill as he smiled widely. "The chicken festival is held on August 21st from 12pm at the festival grounds. Don't be late! And remember that chicks and sick chickens can't compete!" With all that off his chest Dunhill sighed. "Well then, I must be on my way. Sorry to barge in just before dinner. Give it your best today!" With that, Dunhill left, leaving Syldra to cook the dinner in peace. When Aster returned she told him of the festival and his response was simply to shrug his shoulders. He just wanted to eat and get back to work. Syldra watched Aster fondly, her heart all aflutter with the way his muscles tensed and relaxed. She did not feel ready to try another relationship just yet. Plus there was the chance of Aster shooting her attempts down.

Some days later Aster found he couldn't sleep at night without thinking about Syldra and the sudden feelings that had developed for her. He'd sent a letter to his mother and was waiting for a response. Aster had been none too comfortable about writing it, dreading the coming reply. Aster was up early on the 20th of April, early enough to catch Tina about to put the post in the mailbox outside. "Morning Aster. You sure are up early. A small package arrived for you from quite far away. Not missing a lover are you?" Aster didn't take well to Tina's teasing, snatching the batch of mail from her and half slamming the door leaving her to wonder what she'd done wrong. Shuffling through the post, he found a package with familiar handwriting on it, dumping the rest on the side for Syldra to find later. Aster's hands trembled as he tore the paper away. A letter sat folded atop a wrapped box. 'Honestly mother must you always wrap things twice?' Unfolding the letter, Aster read it. His cheeks were dark red within seconds. In the letter, Najka advised Aster not to fight his feelings for Syldra, to let them grow. It also mentioned that she'd sent "protection" with the letter and that alone made Aster go several shades darker. Discarding the letter, Aster turned his attention to the box. It wasn't too big, large enough to fit in his palm. He was more careful with removing the paper, horrified to find his mother had sent him a box of condoms. Aster hid the box in the toiletries bag next to the sofa along with the letter when he heard movement from Syldra's room. Thankfully the young farmer had no clear interest in the bag. He was out of the room by the time she came out.

Throughout the day Aster kept his distance from Syldra, most uncomfortable around her at meal time. She wanted to ask but felt it best not to pry. Come night time, Aster found himself wide awake on the sofa bed. He was just staring at the ceiling when his thoughts drifted to Syldra. Just thinking of her got the man downstairs excited. Heaving a silent sigh, Aster dredged up the courage to follow Najka's advice. Being careful not to make too much noise, he rolled one of the gifted rubber sleeves onto his manhood and crept into Syldra's room, fully aware that without her consent it was rape. But would she fight? Aster slipped into the bed behind Syldra, running a hand under her nightie. She grumbled and shuffled as he gently removed her bed shorts and panties. Nervousness almost made Aster abandon his mission but he shrugged the feeling away, teasing Syldra's folds while breathing in the scent of her. Aster buried his face in Syldra's hair as he pushed his manhood inside her. Too long it had been since he felt the sweet warmth of a woman. Syldra would squeak but she didn't fight, allowing Aster what he wanted. For the best part of half an hour he made love to Syldra without resistance, making sure she couldn't look at him but allowed her to grip at his hair. Arriving at the climax, Aster held Syldra tight to his chest, pushing his shaft deeper still into her. It was hard to contain his cries but he managed it somehow. Syldra didn't care to roll over when he pulled away.


	6. Moving Forward

Chapter 6

Moving Forward

Every few nights Aster would steal into Syldra's room and share love's sweet wine with her. Little that he knew, Syldra caught on after the first time that he was the one boning her. She just never let it show. She placed 2nd in the crop festival on April 30th. After a lot of shopping around, the first part of the town restoration plan was completed by June 5th. The streetlights were installed and placed accordingly, some benches had been set for Hana to rest on and 5 ball topiaries stood in various spots. Aster had to admit, Syldra was tenacious when it came to the town and its people. That night, he felt the need to be one with her again. And Syldra was waiting for him. She pretended to be fast asleep when her door creaked open. Aster tiptoed in, stark naked with a stiff dick reaching for the heavens. He was confused upon finding Syldra wasn't wearing anything. "I was wondering when you'd come back, Aster." Said farmhand flinched back as Syldra rolled over to face him. "H-How'd you…?" "Know it was you? Aster, you're the only one here who can get into my room. My windows are locked as is the front door. We're the only ones with keys. By all rights I should fire you, stealing into my room the way you have." Syldra's voice took on a serious tone along with her face, planting fear into Aster. "I have never consented to your advances, making it rape. But neither did I refuse. I'd been waiting a long time for you to come to me, Aster."

Said man had fluorescent red cheeks, shivering as Syldra ran a hand down his torso, quickly finding his rock hard manhood. She gave him no chance to move, sitting on him quite happily. Aster threw his head back into the pillows, squeezing Syldra's chunky hips in place of crying out. Once Aster's pecker could go no further, Syldra leaned down to nip at his ear. "Let yourself go, Aster. I want to hear how much you enjoy me. You're bigger than I expected. And a very tight fit, just how I like it." In response, one of Aster's large hands made contact with Syldra supple ass, spurring her into riding him. He allowed Syldra to have control for no less than five minutes before rolling her over, claiming the dominant position. Unlike him, she vocally expressed her happiness, only stopping to kiss his lips. Aster would groan occasionally, clinging desperately to the attractive maiden beneath him. Sucking on her nipples seemed enough to silence him. The end drew near and Aster's thrusts gained strength that Syldra appeared to enjoy. Hearing him cry out at the final moment filled her with triumph, suckling at the veins sticking out in the hulking crook of Aster's neck. This earned Syldra several firm spanks and a hickie in return. "S-So big! Don't you ever stop loving me, Aster. You may fuck me whenever it pleases you but I don't want to ruin what we already have with a relationship that could fail." "What if I find somebody else? More girls will likely move in." "Then love her and forget about me."

Early the next morning, Syldra and Aster were disturbed by Dunhill in the middle of breakfast. Getting laid apparently did little to improve Aster's mood as he glared at the elderly man. "Hey there, Syldra! Aster! Are you awake?" "Of course we're awake." Aster snapped. "What now, old man? We're trying to eat here." "S-Sorry to come barging in so early, but Syldra, it seems that you've completed all the town restoration work!" Syldra looked to be in a better mood as she nodded. "Of course. I always keep my word." "How remarkable!" Dunhill beamed. " You impress me more and more all the time!" Aster mumbled something under his breath and Syldra clouted him on the arm for it. "So I've come up with a new town restoration assignment for you! I must say it's a bit more ambitious than the last one, Syldra, but I know you can do it! Will you take on the assignment?" "Do you really need to ask? Of course I will." Syldra's words sent Dunhill over the moon in happiness. "Oh, you will? Splendid! You are the hope of our town! Please do your very best! Here is the new TR Project. Please read it carefully." Syldra took the plan from Dunhill, setting it on the table. "Well, I'll be going now. I leave the matter in your capable hands!" Aster took a moment to glare at the man before opening the provided book. "A bit ambitious he says? More like slave driving to me. By the way, I hope you're not allergic to bees. The old codger wants you to cultivate Honey here on the farm and ship 10 jars of it. Also 10 bushes, a salon, you've done the newspaper carrier and there will be a cow festival. Big list." "Then we'd best get some hives set up and catch us some bees."

Venturing to the next town, Syldra ordered some beehives and bushes while arranging for the salon to be built, providing the materials herself and getting a blueprint from Rebecca. It seemed that Dunhill had the architect busy designing buildings. Syldra had the raw materials, but needed them processed into the right stuff, sending Aster to Iroha's place with the wood and metals that had to be converted. The blacksmith in training was so shocked to see Aster she nearly dropped her hammer. "Sorry to come by unannounced, Iroha, but Syldra requires your services." "I-I see. Please set them to one side and I will get to them as soon as I am able." Aster did as he was told and once his hands were free he took hold of Iroha's waist. "Is there nothing I can do to…speed the process up?" Iroha's cheeks went pink when she felt something long and hard pressing against her butt. "N-No. I'm sorry but my training comes first." Aster feigned hurt, slipping a hand under Iroha's shirt. "Are you sure? I can make it worth your while. I promise you'll like It." Try as she might, Iroha could not push Aster away, her legs buckling. Aster swept Iroha off her feet and sat her down on the anvil which was thankfully cool. He pulled down all the blinds and locked the doors, leaving no option for escape. The air hitched in Iroha's throat when Aster dove to suck at her neck, ripping her clothes away. "Such a beautiful body you're hiding, Iroha. All I ask is that you let me in. I'll be gentle."

What could she do? Iroha saw no way out of the house and Aster had a very tight grip on her hips. He let go to remove his shirt and undo his trousers, allowing his stiff penis to come out. Of course he planned to play safe, rolling a ribbed condom on. Iroha just happened to look down, feeling all embarrassed. Aster teased her before diving in, whispering honeyed words into Iroha's ear. He smothered her mouth before she could cry out while breaching her innocent walls. Iroha knew it went against her village's tradition to experience bliss with a man you weren't married to, but she wanted Aster now that he had claimed her. She clasped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer at the same time, arms wrapped tightly around his strong neck. "You feel good, Iroha." He whispered, an alluring, seductive tone to his voice. "Don't worry, pet. You're safe with me. I won't let you fall. Try and keep it down, won't you?" Iroha pressed her lips together, determined not to keel over so easily to the rush of feelings she was experiencing as Aster rocked her slowly. Her reluctance made him smile. She'd be a tough one to break. Surprisingly it didn't take long. Aster had just picked up the pace when Iroha lunged forward to snag his lips in a fierce kiss. This behaviour caused his heart to leap, moving so he could lie her down. The anvil was quite large, allowing room for Aster to climb on and continue dominating the trainee blacksmith. When that became too uncomfortable, Aster pulled Iroha off the anvil, turned her around and slammed his eager manhood into her from behind while she bent over, her perfectly rounded breasts smooshed against the smooth black surface of the anvil.

Iroha could contain her cries no more and almost screamed Aster's name in ecstasy had he not covered it with one large hand. The other caressed Iroha's back and supple buttocks, occasionally spanking her. He came soon after, making Iroha squeal while pushing deeper inside her defiled body. Aster's legs ached from the strenuous position, carrying Iroha to the bed, lying with her on top of him. His lust returned momentarily, drawing up his knees for support but only had strength for a few drives. His tank empty, Aster held Iroha tight and kissed her hot, flushed cheeks. No words were spoken as they put their clothes back on. Aster returned to the farm in time for dinner. Syldra wondered what had taken him so long, figuring he explained to Iroha what needed doing. Despite having only just boned the blacksmith, Aster was eager to grind himself against Syldra, latching onto her soft neck. She didn't mind, hauling herself up onto the side so he could rub her better. Not wanting Aster to push himself too hard, Syldra nudged him towards the table. He looked exhausted. They spent the remainder of the afternoon foraging in the woods, picking up everything of interest. When night fell, Syldra didn't want to sleep alone, inviting Aster to share her bed and he did so gladly. They snuggled together for comfort and when Syldra ran her hands over Aster's back, she felt what could possibly be scars. The one on his nose has always intrigued her.

In the morning of June 8th Syldra came around from her slumber at about 6am to hear somebody in the kitchen. The chances of being robbed were very low plus she could hear something being cut with a knife. Once dressed, Syldra trudged tiredly out of her room to see it was Aster in the kitchen, cooking what looked to be breakfast. "Aster, what are you doing?" She mumbled sleepily. "It's my job to cook breakfast." Aster glanced over his shoulder, eyes unusually soft. He seemed different today. "I heard from Dunhill that it's your birthday today, so I'm taking on all of the jobs you'd normally do. All you need to concentrate on is relaxing for the day." Despite that, Syldra did some work, like setting up some beehives, planting bushes she'd ordered and gathered up the chicken eggs. If Aster went anywhere near the coop he'd be pecked to death. The other villagers had all gotten Syldra something for her birthday. Aster hadn't had time to buy anything so while she was gone; he baked a small cake big enough for the two of them. A courier arrived at the post office with two packages. Both had Syldra's name on them. She eagerly tore open the smaller parcel, recognising her mother's handwriting. Her parents had sent some seeds ready for fall, namingly yams and green peppers. There was also a new set of clothes. Surprisingly the other package had come from Najka, Zephyr and Uta. Aster figured his mother and siblings would send something for Syldra. The soon to be three time mother had crocheted a throw-over for the couch. Syldra spent the evening with Aster eating the cake he'd baked before letting him give her a birthday fuck.

The contractors arrived early June 11th to start preparing the foundations for the salon. Syldra had just finished breakfast when Dunhill stopped by. "Good morning Syldra. How's your farm doing?" "The farm is doing okay. Is something wrong?" "Syldra, I've been asking you to do things for the town's development…free of charge no less. I've been searching for something I can do in return… And I cam up with the idea of a Gardening Tour." Syldra blinked, still half asleep. "A what now?" "I've prepared a gardening space where customers can come visit and take in the garden's beauty. I thought you could take care of the garden's design, and in return you would receive all admission fees. I'll take care of bringing in the customers. I know plenty of people that like gardens, some from this very town. You should be able to pull in a decent income if you can create a nice garden. So what do you say?" Syldra didn't give it much thought, nodding eagerly. "It sounds like a good idea. I'm in." "All right. I thought you'd be up for it. Thanks, Syldra. Well then, we should get into the first details of the tour. The admission Fee moves around based on the kind and number of things you put in the space, so try to use various set ups. Let's try to hold the tour on the 11th every 2-3 months depending on the season. You've got other responsibilities too, so how about we confirm the tour on the 2nd of the month, 9 days before the Gardening Tour?" "That would be best, yes."

Syldra's head swam. She had so much to take in so early in the morning. No doubt Aster would blow the roof off the house is he was there. But maybe, just maybe, holding these tours would help to attract more people. Dunhill was of course pleased to know Syldra would give the Gardening Tours a go. "Excellent. In that case, let's start the tour in September. If it doesn't go well at first, there's always next time! Just have fun with it!" "I'll certainly try." With that, Dunhill left Syldra in peace. Aster had been at the river, returning with lots of fish. Syldra told him about the Gardening Tour and he just sighed. For a good portion of the day, he and Syldra prepared meals to ship. The summer crops were growing well. Tomatoes, corn, watermelons and sunflowers looked set to net a nice profit. The beehives were buzzing, allowing Syldra to harvest honey every few days while leaving some for the tireless little bugs. She was on her way to the ten jar requirement. Some herbs grew in the window box outside the kitchen window making them easy to reach. The apple tree saplings Aster had brought with him would hopefully bear fruit in fall. Two cherry tree saplings were planted nearby. They had been a gift from Hana for Syldra's birthday. She had found peach trees growing at one end of the farm and were nearly ready to pluck. Tina paid a surprise visit before supper, primarily to ogle at Aster while he worked. Whenever he popped his pecs she'd go bright red and Syldra would just throw something non lethal at him. Tina stayed long enough to be gifted some freshly baked apricot cakes and a pie. Aster saw the girl off at the door, sneakily slapping her hind quarters.

Within a week the salon was up and ready to live in. Construction of a restaurant had begun up by the plaza. The salon, coloured shades of blue, sat a little north of Rebecca's house. The morning of June 16th saw Syldra jumping out of her skin when once again, Dunhill could be heard outside quite suddenly. "Good morning, Syldra, Aster! I'm coming in!" "Good grief, what now?" Aster hadn't gotten much sleep the night before so he was quite irritable. Syldra knew by the look on Dunhill's face he was bringing good news. "Wonderful news Syldra!" He beamed most joyously. "A new resident has moved into town. I brought him here to introduce him to you. You can come inside now!" A rather handsome chap strode into the building and Aster didn't like him one bit given his somewhat prim and proper appearance. He had short dark red hair and blue eyes framed by stylish glasses. Syldra on the other hand was already swooning for this new male as he faced her directly, annoying Aster further. When he spoke, his voice sounded very posh. "Are you Syldra?" "Y-Yes." "I'm Allen, a top stylist." "I-It's a pleasure to meet you, Allen." "This old timer insisted I come and see you, so here I am. Nice to meet you." Syldra's cheeks turned a shade of pink at Allen's 'charm'. Aster didn't like how this random stranger managed to sweep Syldra off her feet right away, knowing trouble wouldn't be far behind should he succeed in courting the young farmer. Aster didn't want a repeat of Syldra's previous affair with Neil.

Allen seemed aware of Aster's hateful stare, matching it with one of his own. Allen liked Syldra, that was very clear. Getting her away from her 'bodyguard' wouldn't be easy. Dunhill stepped forward to try and ease the tension. "We don't have anyone in town that can cut hair, so I've been searching far and wide for someone. That's when I met Allen here. When I told him we could give him a salon, he agreed to come and live in town." Allen gave a shrug before setting a hand on his hip. "I've just checked the salon out and it looks great. Perfect for me to use the full range of my skills." Allen turned again to Syldra making Aster's blood boil. "If you want to change your own style a little, Syldra, come by and I'll bring you right up to date." As usual Dunhill apologised for barging in so early in the morning, leaving Allen behind to do whatever it was he did. "I'll see you again, Syldra." Allen purred. "It looks like you're having a bit of a bad hair day too. Come by and I'll help sort you out." Aster was glad to see Allen go but Syldra's heart ached for the dashing fellow. She knew the aggressive look in Aster's eyes too well. "Aster, don't be like that. Give him a chance, won't you?" "I don't like him Syldra, he's trouble. I can feel it. You look fine the way you are. I wouldn't change a thing about you. A man who can't appreciate your natural beauty can't be trusted." "You're getting paranoid. Besides, I need these dead ends trimming off. What's the harm in a little trim, hm?" Aster wasn't swayed one little bit. Why couldn't Syldra see the signs that Allen was not as nice as he appeared? What would it take for her to understand the dangers of falling for him?

A little later that day Syldra sent Aster off to give Tina some groceries with much struggle. He was being too protective in her eyes, thinking he needed to get laid soon. The journalist was of course happy to see Aster, eyes devouring the muscles showing through the shirt he wore, completely oblivious to the basket until he lifted it in front of Tina's face. "The usual, Tina." "Oh! Thanks Aster. I honestly don't know what I'd do without Syldra. Come on in. I'm not working right now." Aster stepped into the building and closed the door quietly behind him. He got the feeling Tina was after more than just a casual chat. Climbing the stairs to her living quarters, Aster found Tina pouring two drinks. Had she been expecting him? "I saw you coming from the window and thought you might be thirsty. This summer heat really takes it out of you. Sit down, don't de a stranger." "I really can't stay long, Tina." "I know. You gotta keep Syldra away from the big bad stylist. Chill man. Allen wouldn't dare lay a finger on Syldra with you in town." Tina set a glass of lemonade in front of Aster as he sat at the kitchen table, scooching her chair a bit closer to him. "Soooo." She started ever so suspiciously. "Why are you so protective of Syldra? What's your ulterior motive? Surely there must be some reason you don't want another man being near her." "You're treading on dangerous ground, Tina. I advise you to back away from it." "You love her don't you? Why else would you be so jealous?"

Aster's final nerve snapped, tackling Tina to the floor along with the chair she sat on. She squealed and squirmed to get away, finding no success. Aster had her pinned down too tightly. "I warned you not to tread there, Tina. You really want to know why I'm so guarded of Syldra? Do you?!" Tina nodded fearfully, not meeting Aster's angry purple eyes. Strangely enough, he softened, grip easing. "I've seen the way you look at me, Tina. Your eyes hungrily surveying my every move. You're jealous, aren't you? That I spend so much time with Syldra and you so little." Tina's body quaked beneath Aster's bulk, fearing what he had planned. She took a sharp intake of break when he ran a hand down her side, sniffing at her slim neck. "I know you want me. All you needed to do was ask. I'd happily fuck you right now, actually. After all, I came prepared, knowing you need putting in your place." Tina didn't know how to take the situation, quivering to the feel of erect flesh restrained by clothing against her innocent folds. Dare she yield to Aster's desire? Would he pull away if requested? He didn't rush much, a hand dwarfing Tina's petite breast twice over, the other caressing her silky leg all while rubbing his groin fiercely against hers. "Why fight it Tina? You know you want to be punished deep down." "B-But I'm not…" "You're not what, Tina? Attractive? Well endowed? Should it matter? I'm not a man bothered by lack of breast or buttocks. Be confident about yourself!" "How can I when I see all the other girls who are more attractive than me?! Nobody wants a flat chested girl. All guys care about is appearance." Tears grew in Tina's eyes and Aster pitied her.

Keeping the reporter close to his chest he moved to the bed and proceeded to strip her bare. Tina snatched the nearest pillow to cover herself with but Aster ripped it from her hands and threw it across the room. He repeated that action when she grabbed a second pillow. "I'm trying to help you, Tina." Said girl sat on the bed, knees drawn up so she could cry into them. Aster could only see one solution, taking off his own clothes. He then forced Tina to look at him. Each time Aster grabbed her chin she'd jerk out of his hold. "Look at you, behaving like a child who's had their candy taken away. Let me help you, Tina. You want a family one day, don't you?" Nod. "Then this has got to stop. There are people out there who prefer qualities over physicality. You are beautiful in your own way. Don't feel inadequate compared to everybody else. Stand as an equal and prove them wrong." "H-How?" Aster didn't respond verbally. Instead he stroked Tina's cheek, pulling her legs down to reveal her lacking physique. Deep down she wanted to run away and hide. Feeling a little more confident, Tina allowed her hands to wander over Aster's body, discovering his hard rod of flesh waiting eagerly. "You see, Tina? If I didn't find you the least bit attractive, he wouldn't be standing up like that. As for my protectiveness of Syldra. She's already had her heart broken once. I don't want it happening again. Now hush. Allow me to give your self esteem a boost." Tina couldn't rip her eyes away as Aster's face got closer to hers.

The softness of his lips caused Tina to melt inside. She returned the affection awkwardly, allowing him to control her. When Tina least expected it, she was lying on top of Aster, her head mere centimetres away from his penis. "W-What are you doing?" Tina grasped at Aster's thighs, feeling something warm and wet slipping into her pussy. She wriggled a little, trying to remove the intruder but it only went deeper the more she struggled. Tina squeaked loudly as Aster's hands ran wild over her ass, giving both cheeks a squeeze, all while licking at her clit. He smiled at hearing her groans of uncertainty. Some tongue waggling later Tina experienced her first orgasm. Aster didn't flinch away from the taste, lapping up every last drop of the sticky white substance. Tina felt a little bad doing nothing to thank Aster for his actions, eying up the twitching penis not far away. First she rubbed him, bribing a few moans out of the greenette. Feeling a sudden surge of daring, Tina ran her tongue along the 9inches of solid flesh this time making Aster flinch as well. He reacted more as she kissed various spots up his shaft, giving her pussy a sharp suck. Tina squealed at the sensation that came with it. That alone pushed her into giving Aster some oral love in return. Tina could feel his muscles tense and relax with every bob of her head. Aster pulled his tongue out to slip two thick fingers into Tina's tight enclosure. Their entrance shocked her into taking Aster's penis deeper into her throat. Aster moaned Tina's name loudly to tell her just how much she pleased him, his fingers sparing her no mercy. Tina grew bolder still, rubbing her wet pussy over Aster's manliness.

Before the suddenly horny brunette could go any further, Aster took the usual precautions. Tina could hardly wait for him to finish rolling the condom into place and he clicked his tongue at her impatience. Aster surprised Tina by flipping her over and placed himself between her slender legs. "You'd best be ready for me now you little slut. I'll make you confident about your body if it's last thing I do!" Smothering Tina's mouth with a hungry kiss, Aster rammed his aching erection into her and she screamed. Being given head made Aster really frustrated and he made sure Tina knew it, not caring that she was a virgin and being taken for the very first time. She screamed for him to ease off but he was too riled up. To Tina's relief and confusion Aster ceased his thrusting to caress her. He sucked one nipple eagerly while teasing the other, fondling the minimal breast it belonged to. Aster's other hand was tangled in Tina's messy brown hair. Tina arched her back, torso reaching toward Aster as he returned to boning her, softly this time. At last Tina felt the pleasure of being entwined in sexual bliss, quietly groaning Aster's name as he tutored her. He felt the need for a new position, lifting one of Tina's legs high while rotating her to be on her side, shifting onto his knees. This allowed him to use every inch of his penis, pushing all of it into the defiled journalist with a satisfied moan. "You feel good, Tina." He whispered between grunts. "I like it when a girl is nice and tight." "Ah! Fuck me, Aster!"

The cry was unexpected but Aster didn't ignore Tina's request, using every ounce of strength his legs possessed to please her. Tina's hip began to ache so Aster pulled the brunette girl onto her knees, keeping Tina close to his chest, latching onto her neck and giving it a good hard suck. He massaged her hips eagerly, thrusts becoming erratic. Aster clung almost desperately to Tina while bending her over slightly and she grasped at him in kind. Aster reached his peak, thrusting deep into Tina as her name resonated from his throat, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. His lungs heaved for air, collapsing to the side exhausted. Tina rolled over when she could no longer feel a pulsing penis inside her, huddling up to the man who just made her a woman. "Oh, Aster. So big…" "I know, pet. You're not a girl anymore, Tina. I've made you a woman. Do you feel confident now?" Tina's vocal chords wouldn't respond so she resorted to nodding. Aster was pleased that fucking Tina did some good, taking the time to kiss her sweat laced body. He would linger at Tina's breasts to make her feel even more confident about them. Her buttocks also got some love. Sadly Aster couldn't stay. Syldra would be expecting him back at the farm for dinner. Once dressed, he whispered sweet words in Tina's ear and kissed her lips. Tina reluctantly allowed him to leave, already wanting to be dominated again. Syldra looked up from the boiling pasta when the door opened and Aster strode in. "What took you so long? Didn't get lost on the way back did you?" "Very funny. Tina just wanted some company. That and she insisted I try some of her lemonade."

By June 22nd the restaurant was complete. Aster gave his love to the three young women of the town equally. Tina's confidence grew each time she allowed Aster to dominate her. Iroha was still rather reserved but that only excited Aster more. Syldra had gotten up extra early on June 23rd and kicked Aster off the sofa, thus waking him up in time for Dunhill's arrival. "Good morning, you two! I'm coming in!" Of course Aster was displeased at the early guest, skulking off to the bathroom. His absence didn't bother Dunhill as the man beamed. "Good news, guys! A new resident has moved into town!" Syldra had a feeling Dunhill would say that, smiling gleefully. "Really? That's great!" "I've brought him here to introduce him to you. You can come inside now!" At Dunhill's call, a portly man came in. He appeared to be a chef, partially explaining his large girth. "Good morning!" He greeted with a strong French accent. "Your farm is quite special, Syldra! I'm sure I will get good, good ingredients from here!" It pleased Syldra to receive such praise from a stranger. She liked this man already. "Of course! I grow only the best!" "Ah, so sorry! I got quite carried away! My name is clement. I've come here to your town to open a restaurant. I love the place you had built for me. It is simply marvellous! Fantastical! I cannot wait to start using the kitchen!" "I'm so glad you like it, Clement." Syldra turned to Dunhill, knowing he had something to say. Just how far had he searched for the chef?

Dunhill twiddled with his hat, pleased to see Syldra and Clement getting along so soon. "Clement is a famous chef. I didn't expect any success, but I sent a letter asking him if he wanted to come. I can't believe he accepted!" Clement nodded briskly, his beard jiggling with the slightest movement. "That's exactly how it worked out! I've always wanted to challenge new dishes in a brave new world! I was totally unable to find a town that suited my extreme needs, but you've finally provided one! Thank you! I like using things such as fish in my cooking. I hope you'll bring me some nice presents, Syldra. If I feel like it, I may even give you one of my secret recipes in return." "Then I'll bring you lots of good stuff to cook!" "If you ever feel hungry, please come by my restaurant. Goodbye, goodbye!" "Goodbye!" With all the excitement over Aster came out of hiding. Syldra quickly found his stiff pecker, giving it an affectionate squeeze. "Don't get too excited, big boy." "I'm trying not to. It's hard to keep him down when you look so damn sexy." "Well of you behave yourself we'll eat out for dinner today. Saves us both cooking after a tiring day." Aster got a squeal out of Syldra by pressing his erect penis against her butt. "Fine. But you're mine tonight." Giving Aster's manliness one final squeeze Syldra stepped outside, wiggling her hips all the way. The sight of big swaying hips got him twice as excited. Whenever Syldra bent over Aster made sure to remind her just how eager he was for night to come. As promised they went to the restaurant for dinner, taking some fish, eggs and milk to give Clement. Some of the other residents were there enjoying a healthy meal.

Come nightfall Syldra couldn't wait to get off her feet. Aster had worked extra hard so she planned to reward him for it. He strode into her room unbidden wearing his night clothes and stripped in front of the bed. It was no surprise to see the man downstairs already eager and up. Before Aster could even lift the sheets to climb into the bed, Syldra caught his dick in her mouth and gave it a pleasing suck. "T-This is a surprise. I d-didn't think you'd give h-head." Aster's fingers quickly became tangled in Syldra's messy hair, using a hand on the wall to support himself. This was apparently Syldra's first time doing oral as Aster had to give her some guidance but he still enjoyed it nonetheless, moaning her name quietly. It wasn't long before Syldra half triggered her gag reflex, pulling away while trying not to throw up. "It's all right." Aster soothed while stroking Syldra's cheek. "You did good. But it's my turn now so you'd better be ready for me." Syldra didn't fight, allowing Aster to take control. She opened her legs, eagerly waiting for him. They tried various new positions and of course had their favourites. Syldra preferred being spooned whereas Aster was quite fond of doggy style. Or any position that gave him a lot of power. He had enough energy for two rounds, delighting Syldra more than usual. The body rush had them both exhausted, lungs screaming for air. Aster left the room momentarily to use the bathroom and when he came back, Syldra saw scars on his back.

Syldra had held her curiosity back long enough, she had to ask. How could she help him over his fear if he didn't come out and confess what was wrong? Aster knew by the look in Syldra's eyes that he wasn't getting to sleep any time soon. "Aster…I've been wondering for a while. About why…" "I'm afraid of children with no possible reason?" Syldra feared she'd made Aster angry but his face mellowed into an expression or grief. "I suppose I do owe you an explanation. I know you've seen and felt the scars on my back. Did my mother tell you? That I broke up with my last lover?" Syldra gave a nod. Just how right were her hunches? "My girlfriend lived out of town so I had to travel a bit of a distance to see her. But it's not the distance that ripped us apart. Back then I would've crossed an ocean just to hear her voice. Some days before we broke up, I was waiting for her to come back. Said she had something to tell me. We always spent time together in her bedroom, just cuddling. As I started to wonder what was taking her so long, a young boy arrived at the door. It struck me as odd and at first I thought the kid was her brother." "How old was he?" "Looked to be around seven ish. He…asked me why I was in his mothers' room. I approached him slowly, not intending any harm at all to try and talk to him but…but the unthinkable happened." The memory forced Aster to clam up but he'd already come this far, he couldn't stop now. Syldra wondered what he meant by the unthinkable happening. Did the boy collapse in front of him in some sort of panic attack? But then something worse crossed Syldra's mind and she paled. "The boy…attacked you, didn't he?"

Aster was crying now, paying his pride no consideration. His back ached and trembled. "I did nothing wrong. I just wanted to console him. It was so sudden I couldn't do anything. The bridge of my nose took the first assault and while I was on my knees reeling in shock more than pain, he lunged at my back and he…" Syldra pulled Aster into her arms, his face planted between her breasts to smother his cries. She could piece together what happened next. "It's okay." She whispered, rubbing the top of Aster's back so not to aggravate his tormented scars. "I was in hospital for about a week. My vital organs had been spared but my back muscles were in a mess. The boy's mother visited me daily while I was kept under anaesthetic to escape my pain. I didn't want the drugs. She…felt bad about what happened, paying for the cost of the medical bill but when I woke up after a week of sleeping, all hell broke loose. Told her I didn't want to see her or that…that monster again. I'll never forget the look in her eyes before she walked away. Returning home I could barely stand but I had to force myself." "So that your family wouldn't know. Aster, I'm sorry that happened to you, but not all young children are like that. Deep down you know it. It's okay to be scared. But I don't understand why the boy turned on you." "Last I heard he was taken away from her and sent to mental institute for youngsters." Coming out with the truth left Aster drained. Syldra pulled him close for the comfort he so desperately needed.


	7. Turning Tables

Chapter 7

Turning Tables

Two days after Clement moved in and Aster revealed the reason behind his fear, Syldra was visited by Dunhill. Aster was already busy milking the cows. "Good morning. I'm coming in ok?" 'What now?' Syldra thought moodily as Dunhill entered the house, putting on a friendly face. "Hello Syldra. I came by to tell you about a festival I decided to throw. And that festival is…the cooking festival! The festival is all about displaying food that fits a certain category and judging it on quality. The 4 categories are; salad/soup dishes, fried/pot dishes, rice/noodle/bread dishes and desserts/drinks. Like the other festivals there are 3 levels and winning each one will award you better brands, meaning you can sell meals for more money! It would be fantastic if you could enter as a representative for the town." "I will try to make time to enter, but I can't make any promises." "The cooking festival is held on July

21st from 12pm at the festival grounds." With all that said, Dunhill breathed a sigh. "Sorry to barge in so early in the morning, Syldra. Work your hardest again today! We're counting on you!" Syldra had never been happier to see Dunhill go. The old man meant well, but seeing him constantly every couple of days was really annoying. Aster returned as usual with several buckets of milk. Molly and Belle were giving Syldra more milk every week and it tasted better each time.

Later that morning, Syldra went to the salon to have her hair done. Allen was surprised to see her so soon. He greeted Syldra in the most professional manner she'd ever heard. "Welcome to Allen's Salon. This is your first visit isn't it? Here I can give you the hairstyle and colour of your choice. The styling fee is well worth it to feel like a new you. Please make use of my services often. Now, what do you want me to with your hair today, hm?" "I'd like it straightened and the dead ends snipped off, please." "All right. Hop into that chair and I'll get started." About an hour later, Syldra had straight upper back length hair, not a dead end in sight. "Here's your new hairstyle. Do you feel different?" "A little. Thanks Allen. See you later." Allen waved as Syldra left, a coy smile on his face. "Take care now." Before heading home, Syldra stopped by the General Store to check on Hana. She purchased some cotton seeds and went back to the farm. Aster didn't need telling where Syldra had been. The neatness of her hair said it all. "I trust he kept his hands to himself?" "Don't start this again, Aster. I just went for a trim, that's all. You're starting to behave like my dad." Aster scoffed at the statement and went into the house to make a drink. Thinking the farmhand was sexually frustrated, Syldra dragged him into the bedroom for an oral. Typically he managed to bend Syldra over and boned her but it did appear to brighten his mood some. Syldra couldn't understand why he loathed Allen so much.

June 27th was blessed with warm sunshine in the afternoon. It was Sunday and Syldra decided to take a walk to the river by herself. On her way, she found Allen coming from the opposite direction. He stopped to greet her, seemingly surprised. "Oh, Syldra. Good afternoon." "Hi Allen." She retorted, a sweet smile on her face. "What are you up to?" "What am I doing? You want to know what I'm doing? I'm taking a break. You're lucky, actually, running into me right now. Really lucky! I was just starting to feel thirsty, so I was going to get some tea. You don't have anything to do, right? I'm feeling pretty good today. I'll take you along with me if you like! Come on." Syldra was frozen in place, not sure what was going on. One minute it's an invite then Allen decides to just take her out anyway. He stopped a few steps away and turned to face her. "Hey, what's wrong? Come on, get a move on!" Syldra did as she was told, walking back to town by Allen's side. Once at the restaurant, Allen and Syldra placed their orders before sitting at a table to wait. Clement prepared the tea and cakes in a matter of minutes, leaving the duo in peace after setting their orders down. Syldra was hesitant around Allen. He was stern yet appeared kind. "What's up? It's my treat so you don't have to hold back! Come on, eat." Syldra mumbled a barely audible thank you while nodding. That alone seemed to mildly offend Allen if anything. "I invited you here. There's no need to thank me. Having a woman pay for food or drink while she is with me goes against everything I stand for." "That's very kind of you, Allen." "You think that makes me kind? No, I'm just doing what anyone would do. Come on, let's eat."

With no further words, Syldra and Allen ate their food and drank their tea, leaving them both full. Allen stretched while standing up, not offering Syldra his hand. "Phew, that was great! I'd better get going, anyway. We part ways here, Syldra. Looks like you had a good time." Syldra's cheeks went dark pink, making Allen smile that coy smile of his. "I'll invite you out again some time. Look forward to it." Should she? Syldra wasn't sure. But being with Allen strangely made her happy. Aster was sleeping on the couch when Syldra returned home so she left him there to take a shower. Had he been out while Allen treated her to tea and cake? Syldra suspected that she wasn't the only girl Aster was boning. He'd become quite rambunctious after the first time. Syldra was content to leave Aster to it if that's what made him happy. Though she was just a little worried he'd get into trouble for it one day. Later on while changing into her bed clothes, Syldra wondered if Iroha and Tina would be willing to come over one day so they could gang up on the horny fiend who made them feel complete. There was no harm in asking, thinking it best to deny Aster his fun for a few days. Get him frustrated enough to have all three of them. Aster didn't like the scheming look on Syldra's face as she prepared their evening drink. She wouldn't have been wrong in thinking he'd gotten laid during her absence. Tina had been eager for some love and he was ready to give it.

July 1st saw Aster very sexually frustrated. Syldra, Iroha and Tina all denied his advances which was very unusual. Normally they couldn't wait to bend over for him. Aster returned from the river laden with fish filled buckets, hearing what sounded like giggling from Syldra's room. Setting the buckets down by the kitchen sink, he scrubbed his hands. Aster tensed for a moment at the door, a firm grip on the handle. After counting to three he opened it only to have his breath taken away. There on the bed sat Syldra, Iroha and Tina, all butt naked with red cheeks. "So this is what you were up to you little minx? How'd you know?" Syldra approached Aster with a visible hip swing, stroking his hulking pecs tenderly. "It's not rocket science, Aster. Some nights you were too tired to love me so I figured there must surely be another girl you were courting. Imagine my surprise when I found out there were two others getting railed. You've been a very naughty boy, Aster. What d'you suppose we ought to do about that?" Aster would've responded but his trousers suddenly fell to the floor, smallclothes as well. His shirt was the last thing to go. He didn't fight as Syldra shoved him to the bed between Tina and Iroha who pounced for his erect nipples, leaving Syldra to give the first blowjob. By all rights, Aster was furious with the girls for plotting behind his back, devising ways to punish them in return. Tina and Iroha grew bored of Aster's upper body, moving to join Syldra. Aster could barely hold back any form of sound with three girls sucking and lapping at his manliness, groping the nearest ass he could grab. Syldra gave the other two free reign of the shaft to tease Aster's twitching balls.

How Aster wanted to do the three sassy minxes. Every time he tried to sit up, a shockwave of pleasure forced him back down. Thankfully, Najka had sent up more "protection" to save Aster the embarrassment of asking for them at a chemist. The newest box sat on Syldra's bedside table within arm's reach. Aster finally managed to break free, pinning the girls on top of one another. 'Now who gets the first fuck?' He mused while preparing his penis for the impending pleasure. Since the orgy was Syldra's idea, Aster decided she'd be punished first. Tina was at the bottom, her wet pussy lips slapped by large, heavy balls. To Aster's delight, the petite delivery girl latched onto one of Syldra's nipples since the farmer was face down on top of her. Iroha, being on top, got a pussy licking and her decently sized breasts fondled. Aster pulled away from Syldra nowhere near close to his peak and shuffled the girls around so they could all have their fair share. Next it was Tina's turn for some eager dick, Syldra receiving the treatment Iroha started with. The trainee blacksmith was boned last. Aster held himself back long enough to spread the girls out on the bed, chest up. Ripping the condom off, he rubbed fiercely at his dick, fondling Syldra for extra stimulation. The girls all squealed as an explosion of hot, white semen splattered all over them. Aster's plan had been to get the girls to lick each other clean and to his glee it worked, sitting back to witness the fruits of his labour.

On July 4th Syldra and Aster couldn't say they weren't surprised to hear Dunhill outside having finally shipped the tenth jar of honey the previous day. "Hey there, Syldra, Aster! Are you awake?!" Aster sighed into his morning coffee, trying to massage away a headache. "This better be important." Dunhill strode in, not deaf to Aster's remark. "Of course it is! I wouldn't be here otherwise." Syldra came out from the bedroom brushing her hair before Aster could snap. "Morning Dunhill." "Ah, Syldra! It seems that you've completed all the work on the second town restoration plan." "Yup. I sure have." "Everyone in town came together to express our appreciation." Syldra felt a little choked up as Rebecca, Iroha, Tina, Allen and Neil walked inside and lined up. Rebecca was the first to come forward, her face full of pride. "It's amazing how you look at my blueprints and have everything built perfectly. You should quit that farm of yours and go into carpentry! You'd do well in that line of work!" Despite the laugh in her tone, Rebecca was serious. Next Iroha piped up. "More people have moved to town and things have become livelier! Living here is more fun now than when I first moved in!" Tina almost shied away when she saw Aster's eyes staring hungrily at her but she ignored him to say her piece. "And my work is much easier now! Especially since you had such a great house built for me!" Aster clashed eyes with the stylist when it was his turn to say something, warning him to watch his mouth. "I'm not one to give praise lightly, but you are really doing a good job." Lastly it was Neil's turn but he seemed a bit out of it. "…Not bad." Was all he had to say.

Dunhill glanced at everyone before facing Syldra, feeling so proud of her. "As you can see, everyone in town is grateful for what you're doing. Thank you, Syldra." Said farmer went bright pink in the face, feeling quite overwhelmed. "And now…" Dunhill started. "People are talking about making out town even more lively, by expanding it!" "B-But Dunhill…there's no room to expand…" "In the old days, this town was bigger, but people moved away and the land reverted to wilderness. Now people are starting to reclaim that land. They've been working hard to prepare the ground. We…kept it a secret from you." Syldra remained quiet, a little annoyed that she hadn't been told. The look on her face made Dunhill feel bad. I'm sorry I kept you in the dark! But you've been building the town and we couldn't ask you to help with this, too. And the people wanted to do something for you in return. Today, the land clearing is done! I'd like to show the area to you, Syldra. Will you come with me now?" Syldra nodded, putting on her shoes before dragging Aster from the sofa by his shirt collar. Dunhill looked excited to say the least. "Well then, let's go. The new area is to the left of the current town. We'll be there in no time." The walk took around 10 minutes and Syldra couldn't believe what she saw. The area was large, dotted with broadleaf and evergreen trees with odd bits of path here and there. "Ha, ha, ha! How about that? Isn't it marvellous?!" "Yes. I'll be sure to put this land to good use."

Aster shifted his weight from foot to foot, getting impatient with the delay. He had work to do and so did Syldra. "I'm so glad it pleases you." Dunhill beamed. "And now I have this to give you. It's a new town restoration plan that everyone pitched in to write." Syldra accepted the new plan with a big smile, shuffling a little closer to Aster. "Now we can put this land to good use and further develop our town! Everyone is confident that you're the person who can get it done!" Aster rolled his eyes and shoulders while Syldra nodded. "Well, I think we'll all be heading home. We're counting on you, Syldra." Said girl returned to the farmhouse with Aster and looked at the plan together. Aster got the first glimpse as Syldra decided to make some tea. "Okay you need to have a cottage built, the restaurant is done. Dunhill requires an inn and a clinic built also. You need to ship 200,000G worth of produce. The old man would like to hold a sheep festival, meaning you need an adult sheep and he wants to hold a music festival. For that to happen we'll need 15 or more people living in town. Clinic adds one, I would assume the same with the cottage. The inn is gonna bring a few souls in, not to mention once I'm there you're sister is gonna be moving to the farm." Setting two cups on the table, Syldra touched Aster's shoulders. "What about your mother and siblings? Surely you can't expect them to suffer under Teig's roof?" Aster released a heavy sigh. He knew Syldra had a point but Najka would likely have the baby soon and wouldn't be fit to travel far. "I'll call mother and see what she says." Aster left to make said call, leaving Syldra with her determination. _'This is a plan everyone worked on. I'll get it done no matter what!'_

On July 7th some builders came to build a tailor's shop behind Hana's house and another set were almost done with the cottage next to Neil's house. Over the days, Dunhill had announced a beekeeping festival to take place next March on the 23rd of the month. Neil had sheep in stock at last on June 8th and Syldra had enough money to buy two, calling them Moira and Kylie. Najka agreed that once the town had an inn, she, Zephyr and Uta would move in, tired of living with a man who didn't care anymore. Najka was due to have the baby quite soon and promised to get in touch once it had been born. When asked by both Syldra and his mother if he'd prefer a brother or sister, Aster dodged the question. Syldra had written to Najka saying she'd uncovered the reason behind Aster's fear of children and why he'd broken up with his girlfriend. It saddened her that Aster had been so quiet about his suffering. July 9th came around and the cottage was complete. Now all Syldra had to do was wait for Dunhill to barge into her house to introduce the person that would be living there. Obviously she wondered what kind of person would be moving in, hoping they were nice. Aster made a few snide remarks such as "Don't get your hopes up" earning him a partial beating. Yet he was eager to see more girls moving in. Syldra had once told him Emma had a daughter, wondering if she would come to live in town too. With the cottage finished, the builders moved onto laying out the clinic foundations.


	8. New Neighbours

Chapter 8

New Neighbours!

The morning of July 10th was quiet until a familiar villager made themselves known. "Syldra, Aster, good morning! I'm coming in, ok?" Aster and Syldra both sighed heavily, getting tired of Dunhill's visits. As suspected he had come to introduce a new resident, calling them into the house. A cute ginger haired turquoise eyed young man came inside. For reasons unknown he wore orange-lensed goggles on his head. He looked kinda sporty and outdoor loving. "Hi, Syldra." He was definitely energetic, Syldra could tell. "Thank you so much for having my house built! And…this is Aster?" The teen in question nodded, standing protectively behind Syldra, whom was immediately attracted to this adorable new male. Suffice to say, he was quite frightened of Aster's intimidating appearance. "My name's Rod. I'm finally able to move into this lovely town, thanks to you having a house made for me! I hope to become good friends with everyone living here!" "I'm sure you'll be well liked, Rod. Calm down Aster, you're scaring him." Aster let out a huff but did as he was told, arms falling to his sides but that only frightened Rod more. With unfolded arms Aster could strike faster should something rub him the wrong way. Hopefully Syldra would be able to stay Aster's fists if the need arose. In the end she kicked Aster out the door quite literally, her booted foot giving him quite the punt.

Rod looked happier with Aster gone, relaxing now he was safe from being slammed into the ground. "Say, Syldra. If you're running a farm, then you'll need help with handling livestock, won't you? I'm going to be running a pet shop in town. I'll be selling lots of reliable pets, so come by the plaza some time!" Dunhill left first, apologising like he usually did for intruding, leaving Rod alone with Syldra. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you coming by my shop! See you soon, Syldra." Said young woman was swooning over Rod even more, but she was already committing to Allen. So far everything was fine between them but Allen had begun to change, becoming almost possessive of Syldra. As a reward for Rod moving in, the Harvest Sprites clear a shortcut through the mountain area. Some large rocks had been in the way for some time, preventing Syldra from cutting through. Now she no longer had to go up and around to get to the forest area from the mountain! At around 10:40, Syldra and Aster went to see what pets Rod had for sale. He was set up next to Neil who was moody as usual, probably because he couldn't get laid. Rod retained his earlier cheer as he greeted the duo. "Welcome to Rod's Pets! Glad to see you! What do you need guys?" "We've come to see what you've got, Rod." "Okay Syldra. Have a look around! I've got cats, dogs and horses. Take all the time you need. Hey, is that guy always so grumpy?" "Pretty much. Get used to it, Rod. He's your neighbour."

Aster immediately had his eyes on a gorgeous strawberry roan filly with unusual blue eyes and a star marking, petting her lovingly on the neck. Syldra was used to this side of Aster given how he treated the cows and her new sheep. "She's a beauty. I won't stop you having pets, you know. No need to look so dreary." "Are you sure you don't mind?" "I'm sure, Aster. Beside, I've got my eyes on this fine chap." Aster glanced at the black stud curiously. His mane and tail were a shade of grey, eyes the usual brown. He had white fetlocks and a thin blaze mark down his face. Rod piped up, seeing the clear interest. "These guys are young but they'll work hard. Will you take them?" Syldra and Aster nodded, paying the fee of 10,000G. For that price they came with a saddle and bridle each. Rod also gave Syldra and Aster a free pair of riding boots. Syldra named her horse Shadow and Aster's was crowned Rose. While there, they also purchased a build-it-yourself pet house. Having one meant they could keep cats and dogs. Once everything was done on the farm, Syldra and Aster broke their horses in. They were very well behaved and didn't get spooked easy. Syldra knew Toni would be visiting the farm soon to see the new animals. Aster had promised to try and get over his phobia but it wouldn't be easy. The scars were still fresh. Shadow and Rose enjoyed the time spent with their new owners, cheekily trying to nibble ears and hair. Syldra got Shadow rolling around in the yard, scratching his belly while Rose preferred to just lounge around munching the grass. Syldra had the idea that maybe they could sell foals eventually, but didn't want to pitch the idea to Aster just yet.

The next day Syldra purchased more fertiliser from Hana's shop, having her horse carry the bags back. The young horse didn't flinch at the load placed on him, carrying it with ease. Afterwards, Syldra and Aster took their horses for another walk and to gather whatever the fish traps had snagged. They also built the pet house to keep the cats and dogs in. The Silkie eggs given to Syldra by Temujin had hatched a while ago and the chicks were growing up fast. To avoid a repeat of Penny and Melany, Aster spent time with the baby birds, often letting them clamber on him. Come Monday after a long weekend, Syldra and Aster went back to Rod's Pets to buy a cat and dog. Aster got an Alsatian puppy that was mostly black, male, and called him Taito. Syldra purchased a pretty black/white long haired cat who she named Buki. The animals were all nervous of each other at first but by early evening they were calm and accepting. Buki and Taito helped to put the cows, sheep and chickens back into their respectful places before heading into their house to chow down on some food, falling asleep shortly afterwards. Syldra hoped to get more pets in the future to help around the far. No doubt Aster had similar thoughts. The clinic looked set to be finished on or around the 15th of July. It would be good having a doctor in town. That way if Hana needed to see a health professional she wouldn't have to go out of town to do so. Thankfully the folks of Echo Town didn't fall ill often.

The tailor shop was done by July 14th and like always somebody would likely arrive a day later to work there. Syldra was confused to find the tailor shop did not come with living quarters. Where would the tailor live? On July 15th, Emma came knocking in the early morn. "Syldra, Aster! Good morning!" Syldra had expected Dunhill, turning to Aster. "Was that Emma?" Aster shrugged his shoulders seconds before Emma came in. "Good morning, you two. I've got some really great news for you today. My daughter has graduated from fashion school and has come back to live here in town! She's going to be selling clothes from the shop you just had built, so she wants to thank you for it. Yuri, speak up, dear." Syldra and Aster glanced at each other when Emma noticed she'd walked in alone. "Oh, Yuri! I thought she'd come in with me. Yuri, get in here!" A girl no older than Syldra walked in. She had Emma's hair and eyes, dressed like a tailor and seemingly lacked in the breast department. The girl looked a little insecure with Emma's arm around her shoulder. "This is Syldra and Aster. Remember, from my letters? Say hello." "…I'm Yuri. Hello…" "I'm sorry, guys. She's quite shy and timid. This is actually her in a good mood. Isn't that right dear?" Yuri remained silent and that made Syldra worry. "Anyway, she's going to be working as a tailor here in town. Come by and look at some clothes some time! We'll let you get on with your day, anyway. Come on Yuri." "…See you." Syldra had to wonder why Yuri was so shy as opposed to her mother. Aster apparently had no interest in the new girl, sipping at his morning coffee. "Whatever you do, Syldra. Do not invite that girl for dinner. You'll find more cheer in a graveyard." "Aster!"

Dunhill visited a little later in the morning and announced there would be a sheep festival on the 18th of November. Despite Aster's harsh wording, Syldra invited Yuri over for a cup of tea and some cake while he went off somewhere, probably to woo Iroha or Tina. Even with him out of the building Yuri wouldn't talk much. Syldra got the feeling Yuri clammed up because Emma had smothered her as a child. It certainly seemed that way earlier. When it was time for Yuri to leave, Syldra told the girl to go to her if she ever needed anything. Even if it was just for a small chat. Syldra didn't want her to feel isolated. She deserved the benefit of a doubt. Yuri went home with a small smile, passing Aster on her way. To put it bluntly, his presence scared her. Rod collared the greenette, briefly asking how the animals were doing, relieved to hear all four pets had settled well into their new life. Without further delay, Aster returned to the farmhouse. That night the skies were clear and Aster found himself worrying about Najka. No word had come about the baby. Be patient, he told himself. Labour wasn't a thing to be rushed. The fact that Uta and Zephyr didn't send him any text messages only caused his concern to grow deeper. Aster knew he was being silly. Najka was a tough woman and she'd be dead before anybody hurt her kids. But Teig was not a man easily held at bay. After some odd hours of worrying, Aster forced himself to sleep, only to have nightmares that kept him awake.

Two days after Yuri came home, the clinic had it's final touches finished. And surprise, surprise, Syldra and Aster couldn't have breakfast in peace. Aster wanted so badly to thump the old man for being so inconsiderate, barely able to hold himself back. Dunhill had brought the new resident to meet them. Syldra wasn't fond of the dark silver haired man who walked in. He was stick thin and appeared to judge all he laid eyes on instantly. "You're Syldra, are you? From the look of you, you've got an abundance of energy…if not intelligence!" "What's that supposed to mean?!" Syldra couldn't stand the scrutinizing stare any longer and Dunhill stepped back. Even Aster put some distance between him and his boss. "Ah, sorry if I gave offense. I tend to speak my mind. A bad habit of mine. I'm going to be living here so I came to say hello. My name is Klaus, and as you can probably tell, I'm a doctor. I'll look after you if you get sick, but try to take care of yourself!" Syldra panicked now, not wanting to imagine ending up in Klaus's care. Dunhill came forward, easing the tension a bit. "Everyone will be grateful for Klaus moving in. It means no more trips to other towns in order to see a doctor. Anyway, we'd best be getting on now. Sorry to barge in…again." "I hope I won't be seeing either of you too soon. Farewell, Syldra, Aster." It was a relief having Klaus out of the house and Aster couldn't blame Syldra for not liking the man much. He himself wasn't too thrilled about Klaus being in town. Once again Syldra was rewarded by the Harvest Sprites. This time she got the mine opened up in the forest area. Now she and Aster could go mining for gems and ores! And finally Syldra could arrange to have the inn built!

It was another hot day on the farm and Aster was putting his back into tilling some new fields after telling Syldra to go and relax. The hour was early noon, around 1pm. Syldra had just sat down when she heard Allen outside. "Syldra, you're here, right? I'm coming in." Syldra couldn't say she wasn't happy to see Allen, smiling warmly as he approached her. "Hey, Syldra. If you've got some time then come out with me again. I'll make some time for you." "Sure I've got a few hours." "Come on, let's go." It didn't please Aster one bit to see Syldra leaving the farm with Allen, but decided not to get between them. The duo walked until they reached the river. Allen sat on a log while Syldra settled herself on the crisp summer grass. A gentle breeze wafted by, pleasing both Allen and Syldra. "Wow that breeze sure does feel good! I've been worked to the bone recently thinking of new hairstyles! I do prefer being busy, but it's also nice to take a break sometimes!" Syldra had been wondering for a while and she just had to ask. "Hey, Allen. Why'd you become a stylist?" "Huh? You wanna know why I became a stylist? Let me see…if you ask me as cutely as you can, I might tell you." "Okay…I'll give it a shot." Allen sat patiently as Syldra tried many times to be cute. "Hummmm. Not quite there yet. Again. A little cuter, you're almost there." Syldra wasn't sure why she was putting up with being made to look a fool but continued to try being cute anyway.

At last after five minutes, Syldra managed to pull off a cute puppy dog face which Allen seemed to like. "That's not bad, coming from you, Syldra. Pretty good overall, actually. All right. A deal's a deal. I'll tell you everything." Syldra sat herself next to Allen on the log, eagerly waiting for him to explains his reasons for becoming a stylist to her. "My mother and sister both had really long hair, but didn't know what to do with it. So I started helping them out. As my skills increased, other women in the neighbourhood started to ask me to style their hair, too. Keeping them happy spread word of my talent further, and more and more women started to come for my help. That led me to opening my salon, and here we are." Allen scratched the back of his head, looking almost uncertain. "I almost scare myself, having reached such a level of proficiency without being taught by anyone at all! Hairstyle, clothing, and makeup…your appearance has a far higher impact on others than maybe you'd like to think. A stylist has the power to completely change the impression someone gives. It's quite a thrilling profession!" With a glance of Allen's watch, the subject changed. "Wow, look at how much you plugged me for. I don't normally talk that much." Syldra smiled, happy that Allen shared his experiences with her. "I like how you became good on your own, without help. It's amazing." "You enjoyed my back story? That's great, Syldra. Thank you. I'd better be getting back to the present, anyway! See you, Syldra. Let's talk again soon." With Allen gone, Syldra say on the log for a little while. She shared Aster's concern for Najka. Surely the baby should've arrived by now?

July 19th was a sunny day so that meant Neil and Rod' shops would be open. Over the last few days, Syldra and Aster had gotten enough materials from the mine to have the inn built and with any luck; it'd be done in no time. Neil had new stock but had been closed for the weekend. The animal dealer was happy to see Syldra out and about. His new stock consisted of white alpacas. When Syldra tried to pet one, it bolted away from her. "Alpacas are timid animals, Syldra. They'll run away at first so let them get used to you." "Okay. How much are they, Neil?" "12,000G each." Syldra gave a nod, picking the two fluffiest alpacas to take home, naming them Sasha and Keira. She couldn't help but laugh as Neil struggled to catch the flighty creatures. Aster had tagged along so he helped to secure them. To make Taito's job easier, Syldra purchased a tan/white Akita puppy and crowned him Hachi. He and Taito hit it off immediately, running around happily before it was time to get the animals back in the barn. Buki kept away from the dogs, perched on the pet house roof. Aster barely touched his food at supper that night, far too worried about Najka to swallow anything. He'd sent her a message saying the inn was being built but got no reply from anybody. His instincts told him something was wrong. Not even sharing Syldra's bed helped as he lay there just staring at the ceiling. Syldra worried that if this kept up, Aster would hurt himself or worse.

Things didn't improve over the next few days. Upon Syldra's request, Rod was able to find a horse-drawn wagon just in case Aster decided to do something stupid. On the 25th of July, Aster ripped his pants. He'd wanted a new pair for a while, heading to the tailor shop. Yuri was there standing behind the counter looking bored out of her mind. She looked like a deer caught in headlights hearing Aster clear his throat. "Sorry to bother you, Yuri, but might you sell trousers suited to heavy duty work? My old pair needs replacing." Yuri stepped out from behind the counter with a tape measure, showing no fear as she approached Aster. She measured his waist and legs before grabbing a sturdy looking set of trousers from a rack. "Try these…the changing room is back there." "Thanks." Yuri watched Aster heading into the changing room, wondering what the girls liked about him. She'd heard Tina and Iroha gossiping excitedly about the tall greenette. In Yuri's eyes, he was cold and cruel. Not the type to yield to emotions. Curiosity pushed her to approach the changing room to spy on him. By the time she got there, Aster was wearing only a shirt and his smallclothes. He turned slightly to the side, allowing Yuri a good view of his manhood as it stood up in his underwear. There was a mirror opposite the door and Aster caught sight of Yuri in it, his cheeks dark red. "Can I help you, Yuri? I don't take kindly to peepers." In response, Yuri pinned Aster to the wall, legs around his hips. This out of character behaviour startled him. "What do you think you're doing? Unhand me!" "Why won't you look at me? Am I really so hideous?" "No offense, Yuri, but you're really not my kinda girl."

Thinking it was her figure that turned Aster off, Yuri ripped her shirt away. Not only did she wear a bra, but her breasts were tied back by bandages. Once those were gone, Aster's eyes were out of their sockets. The tailor's tits looked bigger than Syldra's! Seeing them got him very stiff. A dark blush tinted Yuri's cheeks as she watched Aster diving eagerly for one of her nipples, pressing the tip of his dick against her covered pussy. "There's mean of you, Yuri. Hiding these beauties away. Was there something you wanted, besides unveiling your melons?" Watching Yuri remove her trousers told Aster all he needed to know but he had no chance to take charge. Yuri pushed him to the floor and unsheathed his penis. Dissuading Yuri from unprotected sex was useless, but Aster couldn't deny how good it felt without the rubber. Several times he tried taking control but Yuri wouldn't let him. In the heat of the moment, Yuri pressed Aster's reddened face between her breasts. He flailed a little but settled eventually, arms around Yuri's back. Being dominated wasn't too fun for Aster and he soon stole control from Yuri. Standing up, he pinned the tailor to the wall and rode her hard, telling her just how bad she was. Aster could see Yuri wanted to scream but she held it in until he kissed her. Before Aster could release his seed, Yuri pulled away and dropped to her knees, giving him head to finish. At the end Aster grabbed Yuri's head with both hands and pushed his penis down her throat.


	9. Family Ties

Chapter 9

Family Ties

Aster saw Yuri in a different light after she pinned him in the changing room, still unable to believe he'd found a girl with bigger boobs than Syldra. There was still no word from Najka, Zephyr or Uta and Aster wasn't sure how much longer he could take their silence. Syldra's family were on their way over and should arrive shortly after the inn opened since it was now finished. July 29th brought Dunhill to Syldra's door once again. The inn keeper had arrived and wanted to meet her. To Syldra's surprise, Dunhill had with him the father and son who'd left town the day she arrived. Aster kept clear of the boy, still as a statue, eyes fixed on him. The portly man smiled and began to speak but Aster was deaf to his words. "Good morning, Syldra, Aster. My name is Hossan. I've just moved to town with my son, Niko." The boy looked so sweet he probably wouldn't hurt a fly. "Nice to meet you, Syldra and Aster." Syldra spared Aster a worried glance before saying something. "I've seen you two before…" Hossan raised his eyebrows, but didn't seem too surprised. "What? You've seen us before? Of course, hah, hah. I heard about it from Dunhill. You're the one, who was coming to town when we were leaving, aren't you? I'm a little embarrassed about that!" Hossan suddenly looked glum. Niko was confused by Aster's behaviour, waving to him a little, making Aster flinch back a bit.

"To tell you the truth." Hossan began. "We tried opening an inn in another town, but it didn't work out. A total bust… So we decided it was better to be here in this town, and then I got the call from Dunhill, now here we are." Dunhill came forward, keeping a wary eye on Aster. "Tourism is vital for a developing town, after all, so I put out a request in the town restoration plan." Hossan smiled, scratching his rotund midsection. "My son and I are so impressed with the wonderful inn you had built. Thank you so much." Receiving a little nudge, Niko smiled. "Thank you, Syldra."

Said woman punched Niko's cheek, unable to resist his cuteness. "I have a feeling we can be successful in an inn like that. Please come by if you're in the vicinity." "I will Hossan. I'm glad to see you've come back to Echo Town." Dunhill left the premises first, allowing Hossan time to say a few last words. "Thanks for everything you've done, Syldra." "Well you've got one customer already. Isn't that right, Aster?" Questioned farmhand paled even more, not looking forward to staying at the inn with Niko around. The boy waved again, not at all harmful. "Bye-bye, Syldra. Bye-bye, Aster." Said teen was back to normal once Niko was gone, grudgingly packing his bags. Syldra wrapped her arms around Aster's neck and tenderly kissed his lips. "It'll be okay, you'll see. Najka's a tough woman. It'll take more than Teig to get rid of her. Try and cheer up, eh? Niko won't bite if you don't." Aster said nothing, leaving the room.

Not too long after introducing Syldra and Aster to Hossan and Niko, Dunhill came back. Of course, this irked Aster until he saw the ginger haired beauty beside the accompanying Clement. Dunhill looked pretty nervous considering his return was pushing the limits of Aster's patience. "I'm sorry to disturb you both again so soon, but another new resident just arrived!" "Good morning you two!" At least Clement was in high spirits. "She's coming to work at my own lovely restaurant, so I came to help introduce her to you." Said girl was quite attractive, her breasts almost bursting from her maid uniform. She had eyes of misty blue, curly hair neatly tied with a bluish green ribbon. She smiled while giving a short bow. "Nice to meet you. I'm Felicity, and I'll be working at Clement's place. It's lovely to meet you both!"

All at once, Syldra was glad this meeting was not a repeat of Tina's introduction, where Aster had been practically naked. He did however, pop his pecs but Felicity seemed not to notice. Syldra piped up before he had chance to do anything. "It's wonderful to meet you too, Felicity." A lovely smile stretched across Felicity's face, happy that Syldra was so welcoming. "I just love delicious food, so if I have to work somewhere, I want it to be somewhere surrounded by deliciousness! I heard that Clement was opening a restaurant here and that's what brought me to town. I'm so happy to be able to work with the amazingly famous Clement!" Mentioned chef was beaming at Felicity's joy. "Oh, I'm so happy you're happy! So happy! I'll make you whatever you want for your lunch!" Felicity was literally jumping with joy and it was no surprise that Aster's eyes followed the bouncing boobs.

"Great! Thank you! Let's go now!" This maid was surely an excitable one. Aster made sure to keep that in mind for when he would eventually take her to bed. Once Dunhill was gone, Felicity turned to Syldra and Aster. "See you guys soon. I'm staying at the inn so come see me if you have the time. I've only just arrived in town, so I'd love having someone to talk to. I'll see you soon, I hope!" "Goodbye, Syldra! Goodbye, Aster! Farewell!" Syldra had to stop Aster from chasing Felicity out the door. Despite being worried for his family, he'd managed to be quite rambunctious the past few days. Catching him between the legs she found he was already very excited. "Down boy! Let Felicity settle down before boning her!" "You forgot to invite her to tea like you normally do with new folk." Aster broke free from Syldra, leaving her to chase after him. "Heel I say! Come back here!" Toni barrelling onto the farm sent Aster back into the house quicker than lightning. Patting the boy on the head, Syldra went to deal with Aster. She pinned him for a quickie in the bedroom, easing some of his frustration. By the time they came out, Toni was gone. Syldra sent Aster to book his room at the inn. She meanwhile visited Felicity at the restaurant, inviting her for dinner. Aster doing so might look suspicious. The young maid was happy to accept Syldra's offer, glad she had a friend so soon. Returning to the farm, Syldra caught sight of Aster picking the ripe tomatoes and corn.

The next morning, Dunhill came back. Aster had arrived no later that ten to six and was still quite groggy. There was a crazy grin on Dunhill's face as he stepped into the house. "Hey there, guys! Are you awake?" "Of course we're blooming awake! It's 6am you loon!" Dunhill stepped back with his hands raised defensively. "Now, Aster, calm down. Syldra, it seems you've completed all the work on the third plan." "Yup. It wasn't easy, but we got it done, just like I promised." "Everyone in town came together to express their appreciation to you again." This line up consisted of Hossan, Rod, Clement and Klaus. Hossan spoke first. "Thanks to you, Syldra, I can run an inn in town again! Niko and I are so happy! Thank you!" Rod took the next turn, rubbing his sleepy blue eyes. "I love the house you had built for me. Thanks."

Syldra looked to Clement as he stroked his beard. "My rrrrestaurant is simply superrrrb! Merci!" Last to speak was Klaus and Syldra dreaded what he had to say. "You're getting things done the way only you can, eh? I respect that." "Once again, Syldra was all choked up, feeling Aster's arms around her waist. "And that brings me to this…Syldra; we all wanted to thank you in some way. Someone brought up the idea of expanding your farm." "Don't tell me you…?!" Dunhill's grin told Syldra all she needed to know. "You may know this already, but the land on both sides of your farm is vacant. And we thought you'd be able to use it, Syldra. So we cleared the land for you as a surprise. And now we've finished clearing the area on the east side of your farm. The land there has space that can be used for terraced fields and a rock with a natural spring to make watering easier."

Syldra leaned into Aster's arms and he kissed her on the head, giving her hips a squeeze. "You can grow high-quality crops in terraced fields. This is prime farming land, so please go take a look at it later." "Dunhill…everyone…thank you. I really appreciate what you've done." Rod was now looking wide awake, usual smile in place. "No problem, Syldra. You helped us so it's only fair we return the favour." Dunhill cleared his throat to gain attention. "I'm so glad to see it makes you happy. And now I have a new plan for you." Syldra took the book gladly, hugging it to her chest. "Using your new farmland you should be able to accomplish more than ever! Everyone is confident that you're the one who can get it done!" "I'll certainly do my best." Looking to everyone, Dunhill decided it was time to leave. "Well, I think we'll all be heading home. We're counting on you, Syldra." Once everybody was gone, Syldra allowed herself to cry into Aster's shirt. He just stood there silently, rubbing her back. The new plan required the completion of an eastern-style house, a fantastical house, a travel agency, a well, attendance of three gardening tours, winning the intermediate crop festival, a fireworks festival, shipping 30 yams and potatoes for a foliage festival and for Syldra to ship 500,000G worth of produce. The list was long, but Syldra wasn't going to back down. Finishing breakfast, she and Aster took a look at the new farmland. Atop a terraced hill sat the natural spring.

Later that day Aster was busy preparing the new fields when his phone started to ring. It was pretty late and he'd grown weary but ploughed on regardless. Seeing Uta's name on the screen caused his worry to return, answering with a swollen thumb. "Uta? What's going on? Why haven't you returned any of my messages? The inn is up and ready." _**"Aster we need help! Mom had a fight with dad this morning. I don't know why but…Aster please come to us!" **_Aster dropped the hoe without a second thought and hurried to get the wagon ready. "Uta where are you now? What about the baby?" Some shuffling and sobbing later a male voice travelled over the line. _**"Bro? We haven't been in touch coz Teig flipped his lid. Just this morning he had a go at mom when she stood up for you. Been talking trash about you he has. On top of that the baby is overdue." **_"Is mother all right?" Syldra came out of the house drying her hands, worried at seeing Aster attaching the horses to the wagon. Something had pushed him across the line. _**"She went into labour during the fight. The kind gentlemen across the way brought us to the next town but we couldn't get mom to the hospital in time. The keeper of an inn allowed us to put mother in a room. Some womenfolk and a doctor are with her trying to deliver the baby. We're scared, Aster. I don't know what to do." **_Aster saw Syldra coming from the corner of his eye, some raincoats in her arms. Only then did he notice the sky clouding over. Putting them in the back she put a waterproof coat on both horses. "Calm down, Zephyr. Tell me what town you're in and I'll come get you."

Syldra ran to fetch Dunhill…and Klaus too. No doubt Aster would want to move his mother immediately but without a doctor on hand he'd be stranded. Dunhill had a map with him and looked over it with Aster. Consoling his frightened brother was hard but somehow he managed. Emma had heard all the fuss, arriving with some old baby blankets, giving them to Aster. "Here, take these. I don't need them anymore. Be careful on the road, Aster. The rain will be here in no less than an hour." "Thank you, Emma. Dunhill, I can't drive and read a map at the same time. I'll need you to come along too."

The old man agreed to go, knowing Aster really needed his help. Rod and Neil had arrived without anybody noticing and had attached a waterproof cover to the fabric topped wagon. Since they wouldn't have time to change, Aster and Dunhill put their coats on. Klaus would be riding in the back. Syldra piled some food into a basket for the trio to take and filled a few thermos flasks with hot tea. Klaus made sure he had all the medical equipment he'd need in his bag. Aster and Dunhill climbed up into the seat, ready for the long journey. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Syldra." "Don't worry about the farm. With any luck, dad will be here in the morning so I'll put him to work. If not, I'm sure Neil and Rod won't mind helping out until you get back." Rod gave an eager nod but Neil just huffed. Aster shook the reins, his heart thumping wildly. He could only hope the weather would remain clear.

Halfway through the journey, the heavens opened. Aster didn't let the rain dissuade him, keeping Rose and Shadow on course. The sky was pitch black and streetlights were few and far between. Luckily the carriage had lanterns attached and little torches were fitted onto Rose and Shadow's bridles so they could see where they were going. With Dunhill's guidance, they reached their destination just before midnight. When asked, the locals pointed them towards the inn, identifying the urgency. Aster left Dunhill to tend the horses, taking Klaus inside with him. Uta was over the moon to see Aster, hugging him tight once he wasn't wearing a wet coat. "Aster!" "Calm down. You're safe now, I'm here. Zephyr, what's going on up there?" Zephyr's red eyes were bloodshot from crying. Uta's were too. "Mom is holding for now but we're not sure how long she can last. Damn that bastard for this."

It was clear that Zephyr had disowned Teig as family, clenching his fists to try and keep calm. Aster stormed up the stairs, following the screams of childbirth. He didn't care for the hands trying to stop him. All eyes turned to the door when it violently swung open. Najka wanted to believe Aster had come, thinking him an illusion until he took her hand. "Aster…? What are you doing here?" "You expect me to abandon you in your time of need? That's a foolish notion and you damned know it mother. Now come on!" Aster positioned himself so to arm-wrestle with Najka, hoping to take her mind off the pain, or to at least avert her anger. The struggle went on for some hours more. Aster had a hard time trying to win the battle with Najka, collapsing from exhaustion just seconds before a baby could be heard crying.

Much later once the sun was up, Aster woke to Zephyr beside him as he lay in a comfy bed. Sitting up, he took a cup of coffee held out to him. "I gotta hand it to you, brother. You really came through for us. Teig was wrong. You're twice the man he'll ever be. Dunhill says you plan to move mother right away. That you brought a doctor to do so." "How is she? After half breaking my hand?" "Pale but strong. Can't take our ma down that easy, remember. You're a fool for challenging her." Aster huffed a little, sipping at the still steaming coffee. Draining the cup he leaned back into the pillows. "So what did Teig say about me, Zephyr? Did he call me weak? A bratty child even?" "He said you were a mistake that never should've happened. Ma decked him for it but he struck back." "Only cowards strike women, especially ones carrying their child. Teig would do well to keep away from Echo Town if he values his life. I must see to the horses, Zephyr. Get mother ready to leave." "But what if she's not well enough?" Aster turned at the door, eyes brimming with malice. "She'll have to be. We leave in one hour." Rose was eager to see Aster, nibbling hungrily at his hair. She looked tired, but ready to work. "You're tough girl, Rose. Rest for now. We'll head home soon. You'll need your strength for the long road ahead." Uta strode into the stable and clung to Aster's arm, telling him that Najka would be ready when he was. Rose made instant friends with the girl, eyes shining.

An hour later the weather looked set to stay clear. Any belongings Aster's family had were put into the wagon first. The soggy ground made it hard to keep good footing so Uta was hauled into the wagon with the baby, Zephyr not far behind. Klaus was already inside waiting to go. A small set of steps sank into the mud making Aster tense. He had Najka in his arms still weary from labour. Just as he set her down gently the steps slid out from under him. Aster's head caught the side of the wagon as he fell, hard enough to knock him unconscious. People came running to help, hauling Aster from the ground. Zephyr dragged his brother further into the wagon and cleaned him of dirt, swapping Aster's clothes for some of his that fit. Klaus cleaned the bleeding wound, fastening a thick layer of bandages around Aster's head.

Najka sat beside her eldest son, his head in her lap. The wagon jolted forward, softly swaying as it was pulled along. Uta kept the baby close until it cried for a feed yet the noise did not disturb their brother. Needless to say they all worried about him being unconscious for too long. Aster started to stir no less than halfway to Echo Town. Najka stroked his hair softly, eyes caring. "Take it easy sweetie. You gave us quite a scare back there." Aster blinked, a sleepy look in his eyes. Purple orbs landed on the pastel pink bundle nestled in Najka's arm. "Don't worry, she's sleeping. Here." Najka lowered the baby so Aster could get a better look. The little one had her mom's face and sprigs of minty green hair poked out from under the blanket. Zephyr sat ready to pounce as Aster raised a hand. Just as his finger brushed the baby's cheek he passed out.

In the late afternoon, Syldra was more that a little worried. She sensed somebody had gotten hurt, praying it wasn't too serious. She waited by the inn for her family, knowing they must be close. Syldra passed the time talking to Hana until a familiar lavender blur came crashing into her. "Sis!" Looking to the town entrance, Syldra saw her parents had finally arrived. Behind them she spotted the wagon pulled by Rose and Shadow. Temujin and Karla moved well out of the way since the horses weren't slowing down. Syldra sprang to life, running to the back of the wagon. There she saw Aster half dozing beside Najka, the bandage clear as day. "What happened Najka?" "Syldra? Aster took a bit of a tumble this morning and hit his head. With some rest he should be okay. Until then, Zephyr and Uta will assist you with the farm. I do hope that's okay, dear." "Of course, Najka. Your rooms are ready for you."

Temujin had the decency to help Uta out of the wagon followed by Najka. Zephyr half assisted half dragged Aster from the far end. The other girls arrived to see Aster being carried inside. Syldra was able to convince them to let him rest before visiting. With the Haeos family inside the inn, Syldra took Cryska to get settled at the farm. No doubt travelling had tired the girl out. Putting the kettle on, Syldra silently willed for Aster to be better soon. It'd feel strange not having him around for a week or so. For the rest of the day she sat stitching a plush toy together.

All was quiet the following morning. Syldra woke up thanks to Cryska dive bombing her. Temujin and Karla helped themselves inside and made a start on breakfast. While she waited, Syldra added the finishing touches to the toy. The look in Cryska's eyes told Syldra she wanted one too. "Oh alright. But you'll have to wait til your birthday for it. There. Not bad for my first time making a cuddly toy." Karla set four drinks out on the table, smiling with pride. "It's very cute. I'm sure Najka and the little one will love it." "Thanks, mom. Since Aster refused to buy something for his sibling I told him I'd make a toy for it." "That's very sweet of you, dear. Temujin, what are you doing with those eggs?!" "Scrambling them, dearest." Syldra and Cryska rolled their eyes in time for Zephyr's arrival. He looked pretty tired. The pot was still hot so Karla made him some tea. He didn't bother fighting when Syldra hugged him. "How's your brother, Zephyr?" "Can barely move at all. Klaus has advised he stays in bed for a good week or so. Mom's with him. Has been all night." "How serious was he hurt?" "Banged his stupid head and cut it open. He's always making us worry about him." "Well he's been worried about you for weeks. Barely ate anything the past few days. If you and Uta want to spend the day with Aster, that's fine." "But mom…" "Don't worry. Aster needs you guys right now and it wouldn't be fair of me to make you work instead." Just like Aster, Zephyr was too proud to cry, settling for kissing Syldra's cheek instead. Allen just happened to waltz in and he was none too pleased at seeing another dude kissing Syldra. Temujin didn't take kindly to Allen's behaviour.

After seeing to the animals, Syldra ventured to the inn. The toy was tucked into a bag on her arm to keep it safe. As she arrived, Niko was about to take some soup up to Aster's room. "Morning Niko. I can take that up for you." "Hi Syldra. You're here to see Aster? Dad says he's not well." "It's okay. Aster's a tough nut. It'll take more than a concussion to get rid of him I promise." "If you say so. His room is the first one at the top of the stairs." Taking the tray from Niko, Syldra climbed the stairs. Uta was about to visit Aster too, stopping at the door to wave hello. "Mom, Syldra's here." "Well let her in, Uta." Uta did as she was told, stepping aside to let Syldra pass. Aster didn't look too bad, a bit pale with sleepy eyes but otherwise fine. Syldra then saw what Zephyr meant. Aster could hardly raise a hand in greeting let alone his head. "That knock on your head really did a number on you huh? I told Niko I'd bring your meal up on his behalf. The last thing you need right now is your fear kicking in. How's the little one, Najka?" Questioned mother had the baby tucked securely between her and Aster, fast asleep. "Been quiet all night. I must be blessed. All my kids were quiet as infants." "So long as she doesn't catch Aster's moodiness we'll be fine." Said farmhand gathered all his strength to give Syldra the middle finger. "Yes, I love you too, Aster. Najka, I've told Zephyr he and Uta don't have to work today. So they can be with Aster." "Bless you, deary. That's very kind." "I also have this."

Setting the tray down, Syldra pulled the newly made stuffed toy from its bag and Najka was speechless. It was a pastel yellow bunny with big soft ears and cute baby blue eyes. It had some square patches of lilac sewn on to add a more personal touch. "Oh, Syldra. You didn't have to." "Aster wouldn't buy something so I took matters into my own hands." "Thank you. I'm sure Morrigan will cherish it. I always wanted two of each." "I'm sure Aster will adore her if given time. That's all I came by to do, anyway. Gotta go put my pa to work. I'll have him sweating by midday or my name's not Syldra Kunimi." Najka had to admit, she liked Syldra's evil side, settling the plush bunny against Morrigan, all four of them melting when the tot gripped her new toy. Aster's weary eyes portrayed gratitude, earning him a pat on the cheek. "You get some rest. I expect you back at work within the month. I'll be back later on, hopefully with something to cheer you up." "Have a good day, Syldra. And thank you. My family owes you so much." Syldra returned to the farm already feeling weary. Temujin was already tilling some fields…and so was Zephyr. Syldra understood the boy wanted to make up for Aster's absence, but he'd been given the day off to be with his family. Cryska sat with the horses just watching Zephyr throwing his weight into every swing. Syldra scolded him lightly and sent Zephyr off with a basket cakes. The alpacas Sasha and Keira were very nervous of the new faces, still skittish around Syldra. Throughout the day, Syldra worked beside her father to keep the farm in shape. As promised she went back to the inn once work was done.

Days dragged by painfully. Aster showed little in the way of getting better but Syldra didn't rush him. Zephyr put his back into working while Uta took to cleaning and making drinks. Some folks were called in on August 3rd to build the eastern-style and fantastical house in the new part of town while the travel agency would be up by the plaza. Syldra got more supplies for her animals that day from Rod and Neil, falling for the pet dealer even more. As always he was happy to see her out and about, blind to her nerves and fears. Cryska went practically everywhere with Syldra, still quite frightened of everyone in town, even the girls who just wanted to be friends. Her and Syldra's parents would be in town a little while longer to help their youngest settle in and lend a hand where the farm was concerned. Syldra also had plans to upgrade her house at some point, to prepare for the family she would eventually have, all while trying to stay on Allen's good side. Temujin didn't like how the stylist treated his eldest daughter and neither did Karla. They couldn't say for sure what Syldra saw in the man. As far as Temujin was concerned, Allen would lock Syldra up and throw away the key if he had the chance to. Aster could speak a little, confessing to the farmer's father that he had similar concerns. Had done since Allen moved in but Syldra wouldn't listen. Temujin admitted that he'd been too hard on Aster, thanking him for caring for Syldra's wellbeing. She had been right to give him a fair chance.


	10. Stepping Stones

Chapter 10

Stepping Stones

Syldra received a surprise visit from the Harvest Goddess on the 11th of August fairly early in the morning. Regardless of Temujin's warnings, she'd continued to court Allen. "Dum-Da-Da-DAA! Wake up Syldra, it's morning!" Syldra dragged herself out of bed tiredly, not sure what was going on. "Good morning, Syldra. You're in a good mood recently. Each day seems brighter when you have a special someone in your heart, right?" Syldra went beet red making the Harvest Goddess giggle. "How'd you?!" "Tee-hee-hee. I see EVERYTHING, didn't you know? Today I, the Harvest Goddess who rules affairs of the heart, will teach you how to confess your love, Syldra." Syldra wasn't sure she liked where things were going but listened anyway. "For a confession of love to succeed, you need the other person's affection and a ring. You'll know if they love you back by how they behave and speak to you. Your confession of love has a high chance of succeeding if the other person starts lavishing you in affection as you have them." "Okay…if you say so." "When you have strong feelings for somebody and you want to confess your love, give them a ring. It's the custom around here to give someone a ring as a way of confessing your love so you can officially start dating. They sell rings at the General Store. Keep it in your bag or pocket so you don't miss your chance to a love confession."

Syldra nodded sleepily, making a mental note to buy a ring at her nearest convenience. She hoped the Harvest Goddess would go away now but that wasn't happening. "If you want someone to make a confession of love to you, the best approach is to shower them with gifts! That's about all there is to confessing your love. I'll be going now. May you be lucky in love. Toodles!" With a flash the Harvest Goddess was gone, leaving Syldra a little excited. Cryska had apparently not heard anything to Syldra's relief. Karla and Temujin would be leaving tomorrow so the sisters wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. Uta came running into the house around midday, saying Aster was moving now. He could sit up, lift his arms and move his legs but standing up was hard. Aster's voice was also returning to him to everyone's relief. Najka no longer had to baby him but she'd probably do so anyway. Syldra suggested that Aster and Zephyr should take the horses out to get some exercise but really she wanted the brothers to bond. Tina, Iroha and Yuri couldn't wait to get Aster alone now he was recovering. Felicity didn't know why the other girls in town were so enamoured with him, hoping to experience what they did for herself. She'd wait a while, until he'd fully recovered. Perhaps tonight she'd pay Aster a visit. He returned from his trek with Zephyr a little exhausted. The hour was still somewhat early so he was propped up in bed. Not long after Zephyr left, a knock came to Aster's door.

His voice wasn't too strong currently, weakly calling for whoever stood outside to come in. To Aster's glee, Felicity poked her head around the door. She'd apparently just finished work since she was still wearing her uniform. Using his more reliable hands, Aster signalled for Felicity to move closer. His tired eyes found a basket hanging from her arm. "Clement sends his regards, Aster. He asked me to deliver these pasties to you on his behalf. You're looking much healthier now. Where should I put them?" Aster tried to speak but his throat was too parched, pointing to the bedside table. Felicity noticed Aster's struggle, pouring him some water. "Here, this should help. Not too fast or you'll choke." Placing the glass to Aster's lips, Felicity tilted it slightly so he could drink. If it was a beautiful woman babying him, he didn't mind. "Thank…you." "Don't try to speak if it hurts." Felicity stroked Aster's warm cheek, finding it cute when he nuzzled her hand. Her soft touch was all it took to get him stiff. Heat lifted to Aster's cheeks, confusing Felicity. "What's wrong Aster? There's nothing to be embarrassed about. We all want attention from time to time." 'She just doesn't understand. I'm not the slightest bit embarrassed.' To prove his point, Aster gently took Felicity's hand and placed it on his bulging manhood, blush darkening. Felicity was obviously a virgin as she had no idea what she'd just touched, moving the sheets aside to get a better look. With the quilt gone, she could clearly see Aster's dick standing up in his shorts. First she poked the stick of flesh making him twitch. That one poke made him harder still. Felicity didn't ask before removing Aster's penis from its hiding place.

Aster closed his eyes tightly when Felicity took a firm hold of him, a little too firm. Noticing he was clearly in pain, she let go. Felicity would have to be taught how to treat an erect shaft of manliness. She allowed Aster to guide her hand, wrapping her fingers around him gently this time with only a hint of strength. Felicity went a shade of pink watching him slide her hand up and down his pecker. He'd moan a little, eyes now half lidded. Just how far was Felicity willing to go? Releasing the dainty hand he found it was now moved by its owner. Felicity shuffled closer when Aster grabbed her waist. With the waitress close enough, Aster was able to untie her pretty white apron and the fastening of the dress, gently pulling them away. Felicity didn't need telling that Aster wanted her clothes gone, feeling a bit nervous as she stood to let the dress fall to the floor. Underneath she was hiding a lacy underwire bra and matching French knickers. Aster liked what he saw of the front, giving Felicity a gesture that told her to turn around and she did so, feeling rather exposed. Felicity had a nice plump, rounded butt and Aster couldn't resist touching it, feeling the silkiness of Felicity's skin. Sitting back on the bed, she resumed the abandoned hand job. She'd sat that little bit closer, giving Aster a perfect opportunity to fondle her large breasts. They were smaller than Yuri's but Aster didn't particularly care. Felicity's were nice and squishy, just how he liked them.

Both of them had gone bright red in the face by the time Aster pulled Felicity in for a kiss. She wasn't sure how to take the advance, matching Aster's uncertainty. A little groping and stroking helped the kiss along from small pecking to full tongue. Giving the waitress a good spank made her squeal. By now she knew what is was Aster wanted. He'd been left horny for several days and couldn't take it anymore. Aster watched Felicity eagerly when she pulled away. Would she leave him to suffer until one of the other girls came along? Had he been too hasty with this one? Those thoughts went away very quickly when Felicity started to give him some head. Her eyes saw a nice juicy cucumber in place of flesh, taking it deep into her gullet. She looked up when some audible moaning met her ears. Felicity clashed eyes with Aster, the blowjob forgotten until he pushed her head down. She didn't fight, giving him what he desired. Some minutes later Felicity could hear Aster rummaging through his bedside cabinet drawers for something, looking up ever so innocently to see a glossy square packet in his fingers. She put up a fight when he tried to free his penis from her eager mouth but lost the battle. Her eyes were alight with wonder as he rolled a strange red sleeve onto her cucumber snack. Felicity tried to reclaim the "cucumber" but Aster quickly pulled her up onto his lap. "Get here you sexy bitch. I know you like how he tastes but you can have something better." "Better than food? Your cucumber is very tasty." "Well that cucumber is about give you a good time. I'll be gentle, I promise." "But…why has it gone red?" "You'll see. Be patient my little gumdrop."

Aster laid Felicity flat against his chest so he could remove her panties, taking the time to feel her supple buttocks before placing her innocent pussy against the tip of his experienced manhood. Felicity squirmed, feeling her vaginal area stretching most uncomfortably. Aster had a firm hold of her hips so she couldn't get away. He kissed her lips, whispering words of comfort to her, saying the pain wouldn't last long. Once his dick could go no further, Aster rocked Felicity slowly, bringing his knees up a touch for stability and ease of thrusting. Felicity contained her cries, sucking on the hulking crook of Aster's neck to take her mind off the pain. He of course returned the sucking, being careful not to leave any bruising. To Aster's surprise, Felicity took a hold of his shoulders and pumped herself on his chunky cock. "There's a good girl." He purred, throwing Felicity's bra across the room. "Let yourself go. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have my voice back. I've waited so very long to taste you, Felicity. And the wait was worth it." Aster was interrupted by an explosion of bliss, throwing his head back. He could hold back no longer, pinning Felicity to the bed. She fought against him for a few seconds, feet pushing against his toned waist but he'd gotten too much strength back. Aster hadn't been fucking Felicity long when Zephyr entered without knocking. Felicity looked to him for help but Aster's evil glare was more persuading. "Come now, cupcake. I don't want to hurt you. Stop fighting. You'll like it."

Felicity hadn't resisted against being kissed or giving head, so why struggle now? The waitress should've known the second she took Aster's penis out he'd want sex. She could've pulled away at any time and he would've allowed her to go. But Felicity had stayed, making it consented. Eventually she did give in, her legs around Aster's waist. And he was right, the pain didn't last. Having a part of his body inside her felt invigorating, fulfilling. Felicity grasped at Aster's back and hair desperately, his every thrust thrilling her senses. He took it slow, wanting to savour his success. Aster made gentle, careful love to Felicity for no less than five minutes when his hormones screamed for more. He added more speed and strength to his thrusts every couple of drives. It pleased him to hear Felicity pining for more hard cucumber, readily granting her request. He did wonder if she'd give his other body parts food related names. Of course he did some nicknaming of his own to make her feel more comfortable, having a hard time trying to think of a food similar to a vagina. Aster gave up after a minute or so, his head hurting from the effort. Aster came soon after Felicity groaned his name. Once his tanks were empty he pulled away from the defiled waitress, rolling over to rest his head on the pillows. Felicity snuggled close and quickly fell asleep. Aster didn't have the heart to wake her, pulling the sheets over them in time for Zephyr's return. "Can't a man have any peace?" "The hell are you playing at Aster?!" "I don't know what you're talking about Zephyr. Felicity was perfectly content to have me." "Really? Because from where I stood it was rape."

"It was her first time. Before you came barging in, Felicity was quite happy riding me. She could've walked away at any time but instead stayed. You're still a boy, you don't understand." "I understand that you forced her to accommodate YOUR selfish wanting!" "It's not like that, Zephyr. Yes I did want a woman having been deprived of one for so long. I did not ask Felicity to do anything. Now if that's all you had to say, please leave. I'm tired and my head really hurts." Zephyr didn't know what to think. He had no actual proof of his claim. All he had was the pleading look in Felicity's eyes. Aster would only consider Zephyr a man once he'd had his first taste of love's wine. What if Felicity's fear was not borne of Aster forcing himself upon her? Was she simply just nervous about letting him have control? Zephyr thought about confronting Felicity in the morning away from Aster, just to make sure his brother was telling the truth. Should he ask somebody else so not to appear jealous? Zephyr thought of consoling in Syldra, heading to the farm despite the late hour. The farmer was just finishing supper when he arrived. Syldra wasn't blind to the concern on Zephyr's face, taking him into her room to talk. "What's he done now, Zephyr?" "How did you know it concerns Aster?" "Other than Teig, Aster is the only one able to make you angry. What's wrong?" "I don't know what to think, Syldra. I walked in on him…" "With a girl? Why does this bother you?" "She looked at me for help, frightened."

Syldra only knew of two girls Aster hadn't boned yet. Well, as far as she knew, Yuri hadn't pinned him in the changing room. Syldra understood why Zephyr would be all confused, setting a hand on his shoulder. "I don't mean to be nosy, but who was getting boned?" "I don't know her name. I think she works at the restaurant." "Felicity? Well he sure took his time." Zephyr blinked, not sure how to take Syldra's comment. "What do you mean?" "Honestly Zephyr, you thought your brother a virgin? To my knowledge, only one girl has escaped your brother and that's Yuri. Look, sweetie. I won't deny that Aster can be an asshole. But when it comes to a girl he likes, it's not in his nature to be forceful. Have you spoken to Aster about this?" "He claims she was willing and had been quite happy before he pinned her down. Said it was her first time." "Felicity hasn't had the chance to bond with Aster yet, so I understand why she'd be a little scared. Fear is a natural thing, Zephyr. And your brother is quite intimidating to look at." "I'm guessing you've slept with him too, seeing as you know so much." "I will admit I was furious with him for stealing into my room. By all rights I should've kicked Aster out for it. But you know something?" "What's that? You're gonna tell me my brother was scared to screw you while you'd be perfectly aware?" To Zephyr's horror Syldra nodded. He'd always thought Aster to be fearless. "Is it a crime for a man to feel fear? When your mom had the fight, weren't you the one admitting to being scared? Don't be so quick to judge. If Aster says that Felicity was willing, I believe him. I can ask her about it tomorrow if it'll make you feel better."

"No, it's okay. Thank you Syldra. Aster was right. I don't understand anything." "Don't take it to heart, Zephyr. But I will advise you to press your ear against Aster's door before walking in next time." Syldra saw Zephyr to the door, giving his hands a squeeze for comfort. Cryska couldn't take her eyes off him until Syldra shut the door. Temujin was not blind to Cryska's curiosity, softly taking her hand. Syldra knew what that meant, swatting her father away. "Best leave it to a girl, daddy. You might put her off." "You wound me, Syldra. I bear no grudges on Zephyr." "Yes but he is Aster's little brother and we still don't really know what he's like. I will say he's considerate." "Let me guess. Caught his brother at the old hanky panky business?" "If that's your way of describing a man getting laid, yes. I'll dare say I think a good shag is all Aster needs to get better. Now hush, or we'll scare Cryska." Said girl had her eyes fixed on the door. She wasn't curious. Cryska already knew about the love between a man and woman no thanks to her parents getting frisky in the kitchen. Looking at Zephyr made Cryska's pulse race. Not to mention her heart went boom just being near him. Syldra pinched Cryska's cheek, bringing her out of fantasy land. She already saw the signs her baby sister was crushing on Zephyr. Thankfully she had no competition…yet. More girls would likely move into town eventually. Zephyr was a handsome boy and he wouldn't stay single for long.

Felicity was gone by the time Aster woke up the next morning. He found a note from Zephyr, apologising for his rash accusation. Before trying to get out of bed, Aster gave his legs a little test. They were still just a bit weak. Zephyr strode into the room carrying what looked like breakfast. He set the tray down without a word and turned to leave but Aster caught his wrist. "I already apologised. What more do you want?" "To give one in return. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. But there are some things you don't understand yet. Who did you go to?" "The only woman in town I know I can talk to." "Syldra. So then you know? That I loved her?" "How could I not? One can only be wise to a man's habits in bed if she slept with him. I…I just want to know why." Aster met Zephyr's eyes to see confusion. "Why what? That I sleep with all the young girls in town?" Zephyr turned his face away but Aster couldn't say if he was jealous. "I'm just trying to find the right girl." "But must you bed them to find out?" Aster sighed, moving into a thinking pose. "Zephyr, what if, this is just a theory mind. What if a girl came to me of her own free will with lusty eyes and grabbed my manly parts? Would you scold me then for accepting that girl and taking her to bed? It will happen one day." "If it's of her choice I wouldn't care. She's ruining her own future." "Men these days prefer a woman with experience, Zephyr. I did not come here pure. You're of legal age, Zephyr. You're already a man in my eyes." Zephyr thought he was hearing things but Aster's eyes portrayed only truth. "You took the responsibility when mother went into labour. Only a real man would shoulder it himself. You're not a little boy anymore."

Zephyr didn't linger in the room, probably going to cry where nobody could see. After having his breakfast, Aster felt strong enough to go riding alone. No doubt Zephyr would try to avoid him for a while. Uta came to take the tray in Zephyr's place, being told to have Rose brought to the inn. Instead of his riding boots, Aster put on a pair of ankle length boots so he would move his feet easier. Not ten minutes later Temujin came in and helped Aster downstairs. Rose was lying in the doorway patiently waiting. Once Aster was in the saddle, Temujin backed off. "You sure you'll be fine on your own Aster? I don't mind coming with." "I appreciate your concern, Mr. Kunimi but I'll be okay. I feel much sturdier today." "All right boy. Don't take too long will you? Syldra hopes to stop by later." "I'll try." Looking to the road ahead, Aster urged Rose on with a click of his tongue. She plodded along the path at a careful pace, not frightened of all the other creatures running around. Aster gave the reins a few shakes and Rose gathered speed. Once she was cantering he put his legs to the test, pushing himself out of the saddle. They held strong for a good while but Aster didn't push himself. Arriving at the mountain area, he allowed Rose to have a drink. She got a bit panicky when Aster dismounted, leaning on her for support. "It's okay, Rose. But I gotta do this. If I don't I'll never get back to work. Come on. Just a little further, pet." The loyal filly kept by Aster's side devotedly.

Moving into the woods saw the pace increasing. Every step strengthened Aster's legs, allowing him to move faster. Halfway through, he grew bold, spurring Rose into running. She didn't go too fast with Aster still leaning on her for support but after around ten strides he started to run on his own. About an hour had passed so it was time to head back to town. Rose chased after her rider when he sprinted off. Syldra and Cryska were just saying farewell to their parents when a running horse could be heard. Turning around they saw Rose blazing a trail behind none other than Aster. The young horse was clearly holding back, catching up just in time to stop still by the girls. Syldra didn't care that Aster was drenched in sweat, hugging him tight. He loosely returned the embrace, heart racing. "I see it only took a bit of bedroom bliss to get you back on your feet." "Can it, wench. I'll be working again now I have my legs back." "It's good to have you back. You go on ahead. We'll be there shortly." Before taking Rose back to the farm, Aster shook Temujin's hand firmly and surprisingly pecked Karla on the cheek. His family also came to say goodbye, glad to see Aster standing on his own again. Molly and Belle were so happy to have him back that they nearly bowled him over. The Silkie chicks couldn't wait to snuggle their surrogate dad, nearly fully grown. To Aster's surprise, Penny and Melany welcomed him nicely. Syldra and Cryska came back to see him on the floor with all four chickens. "They were worried about you, y'know. Don't push yourself too hard unless you want to be hearing from Klaus." Aster shuddered at the thought, grabbing the rake.

Things were finally back to normal now Aster had recovered. Najka took over cooking and making drinks with Karla gone. Zephyr found himself looking at Cryska whenever the opportunity knocked on his head. August 11th saw the eastern-style house finished, meaning Dunhill would be coming the next morning. Najka saw the signs that Zephyr and Cryska were attracted to each other, doing what she could to ensure her son would want no other girl. Syldra took the Haeos twins into town. She needed to stock up on supplies again for her livestock. Neil was indifferent to the siblings but Uta got all shy. Syldra couldn't blame her since Neil was attractive. The same thing happened when Rod properly introduced himself. Seeing Syldra with Zephyr set Allen's blood boiling. Later in the evening he called Syldra to his place where he verbally laid into her. She bit back, saying Zephyr was nothing special to her. Allen wasn't convinced but held himself back from physically harming Syldra. She hoped he'd eventually come to see the truth of her words. It was hard to sleep that night. Syldra dreaded to think what Allen would've done had he not held his temper. Perhaps it was time to give herself to him entirely? Syldra had already bought a ring, she just couldn't find the right time to give it to Allen. Cryska had seen Syldra's unease, coming to cuddle her big sister until they both fell asleep. Nothing stirred for the remainder of the night, giving the sisters peace to dream.

The morning of August 12th brought Dunhill to Syldra's door again. With Aster now staying at the inn, he needn't fear for his life. Cryska didn't look amused to say the least. Syldra waved to the man with no enthusiasm. He announced that somebody had come to live in the eastern-style house, calling for them to come inside. A tall kimono wearing man walked in. He had short brown hair, a bristly chin and brown eyes. "You must be Syldra. You live up to your reputation! Youth is so wonderful!" Syldra didn't know how to take the statement, trying not to sound hostile when she spoke. "Excuse me?" "Ah, sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself. You just dazzled me with your brilliance! I do tend to just come out and speak my mind when I'm frazzled. Don't pay attention to me. My name is Soseki. Nice to meet you both. This is a wonderful place. There's no unnecessary noise. I think I'll be very happy living here." Dunhill left without a word, uncomfortable with Cryska's death glare. She moved onto Soseki with him gone. "Let's all get along, shall we? See you again soon girls. Have a good one!" Syldra rarely saw Cryska so rattled, thinking it was that time of the month again. The Haeos family arrived no later than half six and they all got straight to work. Zephyr picked up on Cryska's foul mood, keeping well clear. He knew from experience not to mess with a girl on their period. And if Cryska was anything like Syldra, it wouldn't require much to make her snap. Aster dragged Zephyr away at one point and gave his little brother some tips on courting considering who his eyes were on. Around lunch time Zephyr left the farm and came back with flowers in hand, giving them straight to Cryska.

Two days after Soseki moved in, Dunhill returned to Syldra's house in the small hours of the morning. Cryska's mood had definitely not improved so Syldra sent her to go get a shower. She then apologised for her sister's behaviour. Dunhill shrugged it off and called to somebody. Into the house came a family of three, a man, his wife and their daughter, a little younger than Toni. The man had short blonde hair and grey eyes. His wife had jet black hair and eyes while the girl was her father's twin, hair tied in a bun by a blue ribbon. "You're Syldra? Exactly as I imagined you to be!" It was the man to speak, a red rose in his hand. His comment made Syldra blush. "My name is Charles." He continued. "Nice to meet you! These two are my beloved wife, Camellia, and my beloved daughter, Hina." Charles gestured to his wife and daughter in turn, stepping back slightly so Camellia could speak. Syldra didn't particularly like her. "I am Charles' wife, Camellia. It sounds like we'll be counting on you from now on, too. Very nice to meet you." While Camellia sounded pleasant, Syldra saw a possessive woman at heart. Little Hina was given a slight nudge but the girl wasn't the least bit nervous. "Nice to meet you, Syldra! This is my first time coming to a farm like this. This place looks like so much fun! I'm sure I'll be around to play often! I hope that's okay." Syldra bent down and patted Hina on the head. "Of course. Just be careful not to hurt yourself, Hina."

Said girl jumped into her father's arms, happy as can be. Seeing a happy family made Syldra's day. Charles got distracted bouncing Hina in his arms…until Camellia elbowed him in the side. "We've decided to set up a travel agency here in town. We can fly you anywhere you want to go!" "Charles is an excellent pilot, Syldra, so you have nothing to worry about. Ah, of course it isn't going to be free." "Come by and see us some time. I'm sure you'll find a great deal." "It sounds fun, Charles. I'll try to stop by soon." Dunhill and the family left the house, Hina waving over her dad's shoulder. "See you again Syldra!" Called woman took a deep breath once everyone was gone. 'Oh dear. I'd best warn Aster there's a new kid in town. He's gotten better but his fear still remains.' Lost in her thoughts, Syldra walked right into Aster as he strode into the building with his family. Half an hour later, Dunhill returned, a familiar grin on his face. Only Syldra and Aster were in the house, about to take a breather from work. "Sorry to bother you again, Syldra. But somebody else just arrived! I've brought her here to meet you all. You can come in now!" Aster's undivided attention was on the pink haired girl who walked in, until Syldra elbowed him sharply in the gut just as he was about to pop his pecs. To their surprise, the girl performed "magic" without saying a word. At the end Dunhill couldn't help but laugh at their faces. "Did that surprise you?" The girl spoke up, her chestnut eyes shining. She had a small beauty spot under her right eye, hair tied into partial princess drills. "Sorry if that startled you." "Guys, this is Michelle. She's going to be living in this town from now on."

Aster wasn't sure what to think of this girl at first but if there was one type of girl he stayed away from, it was showgirls. Yet she already had him hooked on an invisible thread. "I'm Michelle! Tell me, guys. Did you like my magic?" Before Aster could breathe a word, Syldra kicked him in the shin without turning around. "It was lovely." "Thank you! That was a new trick, so I'm glad you liked it. I'm a magician, and I lived here in this town for a short while in the past. Now I want to show off my magic here!" Dunhill smiled broadly, noticing the look of pained annoyance on Aster's face. "I decided that we finally needed some entertainments here in town, so I had Michelle come and join us. I'll leave you to your day. Sorry to keep barging in, Syldra. Have a nice day." With Dunhill gone, Syldra turned back to Michelle. "You had such a cute little house made for me, I'll do my best to show off some wonderful magic! I hope we'll get along, living together in the same town! See you again soon!"

Syldra had to hold Aster back as Michelle left, grabbing him by the nuts quite hard, making him bow down over her shoulder. Once the pinkette was gone, Syldra released the feisty young man, waiting for him to make a move. When he did she held him back. "Heel boy. Let Michelle settle down first. Sit down before I really hurt you this time." Aster willingly obeyed as Syldra got ready to crunch his manly bits again. She wondered how long it would be before he bedded the magician.

Since it was a sunny Saturday, Syldra went to see how Neil was doing. To her surprise, Rod was in the house when she arrived. "Hello, Syldra. Are you here to see Neil too? I was walking my dog and dropped in to see him on my route. Neil's further inside the house. I'm going home to pick up something I forgot. See you later." Syldra nodded, allowing Rod to leave before looking for Neil. She found him playing with a beige pug. "Hey, you're a cutie, aren't you? Rod's just gone to get something he forgot. Don't worry, we'll wait for him to come back together." The dog whined and tried to move away from Neil. "Hey, wait. Hold on!" To Syldra's dismay Rod's pug walked up to her. Neil's soft side vanished instantly, regardless of how well Syldra already knew him. "H-Hey, how long have you been there for? You surprised me!" Syldra tried hard not to giggle as Neil approached her. "Fess up, how long have you been standing there? You didn't see…see any of that, did you?" "See any of what? I just got here." Telling the truth would have consequences so Syldra told a tiny lie, finding Neil's feigned anger rather cute. "Good. Forget I said anything. Rod left me here with his dog. Not for too long, just a little while. I've got other things to do, though! I don't have time for this." Syldra held her silence but inwardly smiled. "In fact, I was just about to go and drop Rod's dog off back at his house. Do you want to come along?" "Sure I'll go." "Let's go then. Come on, doggy. We're not leaving you behind." Again the dog made a sound as Neil lead it out of the house with Syldra. It seemed incredibly nervous of him for some reason, probably not fond of strangers.

Rod on the other hand was still searching for what he'd forgotten. "There it is! Right, I'd better get back to Neil's place." Just then, Neil and Syldra came in with the dog. "Hey, what are you doing here? I was just about to come back over." Neil's features turned sharp and Syldra could only hope he wouldn't be too harsh. "I'm bringing your dog back. A dog needs a master, after all! I can't do you favours all day long!" Neil's words surprise Rod but he retaliates, face angry. "What're you talking about? You're the one who said you'd look after my dog while I came back to get this." Syldra kept out of the way, not wanting to get roped into the argument. Neil soon bit back. "Enough double talk! I've no idea what you're talking about! Here's your dog back. I'm going home." Neil turned then to Syldra, anger receding. "See you later, both of you." He then walked out of the house, nothing else to say. His behaviour really confused Rod, who was rather confused, stroking his cheek with a finger. "Hey Syldra, what's up with Neil?" "I caught him playing with your dog and he flipped." "You saw him playing with my dog? I guess he was embarrassed at getting seen. He must know you saw him and came here to hide his embarrassment. He's got a bit of a sharp tongue so it can be hard to tell, but he's actually a really kind guy." 'I already know that, Rod. I slept with him after all.' Syldra nodded, not voicing her thoughts. Neil just didn't like showing his friendly side often.


	11. True Colours

Chapter 11

True Colours

Rod found Syldra to be very adorable sometimes, his heart melting when she smiled. "I'm glad that Neil's got somebody who understands him now, anyway. I guess this sounds a little odd, coming from me, but I hope you'll be a good friend to Neil." "I will. I've gotta get home now, I'll see you later." Rod gave a smile and waved cheerfully as Syldra left the building. Allen watched Syldra vacating Rod's house, having also seen her walking into it beside Neil. Tonight he planned to put Syldra in her place for good. Tina wasn't sure what to think when Allen showed up and asked her to deliver a letter to Syldra in the middle of the day but she didn't ignore his request. Tina figured that Allen just had a lot on his plate and couldn't spare any time to take the letter himself. On her way to deliver the letter, Tina happened to run into Zephyr. "'Scuse me, are you Zephyr?" "I am. What do you want?" "Sorry to bother you, but could you give this letter to Syldra? I told the sender I'd deliver it but I just realised I have other things I need to be doing. She needs to receive it before this evening I'm told." Zephyr took the envelope in hand and tucked it into his big breast pocket. "All right I'll see that she gets it. You're…Tina right?" "Yeah. If you need anything delivered I'll do my best to get it sent off. Thanks Zephyr, you're a life saver!" Tina ran back to her house waving and Zephyr couldn't help but find her adorable.

As promised Zephyr gave Syldra the letter and the contents made her go a little pale. Beside Klaus, there was only one resident Syldra had fear of. Aster didn't relish the idea of Syldra going to see Allen alone given the tone of the letter but if he went along things would likely take a worse turn. That night, close to 11pm, Syldra went to Allen's place. She'd dressed up a little just to try and get on his good side. Nothing appeared wrong when Allen answered the door, usual coy smile in place but once upstairs it faded. By now, Syldra knew why Allen had summoned her. She tried to have a life and he didn't like it. For nearly half an hour they argued, Syldra leaving the building with a bruised cheek and arms. Cryska was fast asleep by the time Syldra got home, creeping to the bathroom to clean her face up before climbing into bed. Come morning, Syldra's cheek had gone up like a balloon. If Aster saw her like that he'd go on a rampage in Allen's direction. While it was still early, Syldra left a note on the table beside Cryska saying she wasn't feeling too well and didn't want to be disturbed. Around afternoon time, Aster brought her dinner in. He was somewhat concerned about Syldra hiding her face and she avoided his touch. Not wanting to push his luck, Aster left the room. He told Cryska to tell him if things got worse and she understood. Zephyr felt he was somewhat responsible for Syldra's ill turn, being the one who gave her the letter. Despite Cryska's warning, he placed a vase of flowers on Syldra's bedside table.

Some days passed after Syldra's fight with Allen. Her face had gone down but the bruises on her arms were stubborn about fading so she had to cover them up. Syldra wearing long sleeves set the warning bells off in Aster's mind. She'd never wear long sleeves unless something was wrong. What was she hiding from him? Had Allen begun to show his true colours? It was the 19th of August and Michelle would've settled in by now. Syldra couldn't do much work on the farm with her arms banged up so she instead did some baking. Cryska and Uta helped where needed. Shortly before lunch Syldra sent Aster to deliver a batch of strawberry flavoured rose icing coated buns to Michelle despite knowing the risks involved. Aster cringed as he stepped into Michelle's house. Everything was white and pink. The young magician was thrilled to see him. "Aster! What a lovely surprise! Ooh, are those for me?" "Syldra sends her apologies, Michelle. Normally new folks get invited to dinner but she's not been feeling too well lately." Michelle took the basket gratefully. "Aaawww. I hope she gets better soon. Hey Aster, do you have a minute?" Called young man had been pretty much out the door. Aster put one foot back inside only to be put to sleep when Michelle sprayed something in his face. Not too long after that he woke up to find he was cuffed to Michelle's bed with absolutely nothing on. The magician herself was stark naked and Aster didn't like the few "toys" in her hand. "Michelle, what are you doing? Let me go." Aster yanked at the cuffs but they wouldn't yield to his strength, proving they weren't cheaply made. "This isn't funny Michelle. Uncuff me right now!"

"Why would I do that? If I let you go, you'd run away and I'd be all alone. I just want you to notice me." "Yes well now I have and I'd very much like to get back to work." Michelle clicked her tongue and waggled a finger at Aster, sitting excitedly on his thighs. She got thrown off a few times and shoved away by cold feet. With a lot of struggle Michelle cuffed Aster's feet to the bed as well so he couldn't fight back. His threats of the girl being in trouble when he got free fell on deaf ears. Aster resisted showing any signs that he enjoyed his penis being rubbed, not wanting to give Michelle the satisfaction. "Aaww c'mon Aster. It's no fun if you don't say anything. I thought guys loved their stick being caressed. No matter. I'll have you begging me to fuck you soon enough." 'I highly doubt that.' Aster growled quite venomously as Michelle grabbed a tube of what looked like syrup. "Listen you little slut, if you don't let me go right now you're going to be in big trouble." Michelle did a great job of feigning hurt, sticking her butt in the air. "That's not a nice thing to say to a girl. I just want some love. Is that so much to ask for?" "If a man clearly doesn't agree to it then yes. Now unchain me!" Michelle did the exact opposite, rubbing some on the tube's contents onto Aster's half erect penis. Once a thick coating was applied, Michelle took it into her mouth. Aster was determined not to yield, using whatever free movement he had to try and dislodge the pinkette.

By the time Michelle cleaned Aster's bulging shaft of the syrup, he was stiff as a rock, revealing a ring of some kind and he really didn't like the look of it. Aster put up a worthless fight, Michelle sitting triumphantly beside him once the somewhat elastic ring was around his dick. "My, you're a big boy. Looks like I'm going to need a bigger vibrating ring." "A what?! You take that off right this minute young lady!" Michelle grinned evilly, flicking a little switch attached to the ring and it began to vibrate. The sensation was unpleasant at first and she watched Aster writhing in a feeble attempt to rid himself of it. "Just relax." She cooed. "It'll feel better than any girl you've ever screwed if you give it chance." Aster wasn't calming down any time soon making Michelle sigh heavily. She grabbed a different tube and it clearly read "extra strength lubricant". Michelle sat squarely on Aster's crotch, a firm hold of his very stiff manhood. She was too far forward to slip her pussy onto it, leaving only one other place for his manliness to go. Aster pulled harder at the cuffs, pained by the tightness his shaft was pushed into. Michelle's cheeks were a shade darker than her hair as she wriggled to get Aster's penis further into her anal cavern. "S-So big! I take it you've never done a girl's ass before given your reaction. Don't worry, it won't hurt for long. You'll like it more than pussy, I promise." Aster was having none of Michelle's soothing, trying and failing to throw her off. Once she'd taken all of him inside she shuffled a bit. Aster panted for air, still assaulted by pain. Every muscle in his body tensed as the evil magician began riding him, slowly at first.

While Aster did eventually get pleasure from his first run of anal sex he still refused to show any form of enjoyment. What came next made his eyes grow wide with fear. Michelle had been kind enough to release his manhood and stepped away for a moment. She came back wearing a strap on dildo, telling Aster exactly what she had in mind. "Michelle, what are you doing with that thing? You've had your fun now let me go!" "But I'm not done yet." She whined, spreading Aster's legs wide. First she teased his opening, bribing a very angry hiss from him. Michelle firmly took hold of Aster's dick and rubbed it against her fake one. Why hadn't Syldra sent somebody to find him? Syldra's concern was the least of Aster's worries. Michelle lubricated her strap on penis, pressing it once again to Aster's butt hole. This time he couldn't hold anything back, crying out in pain as she thrust into him hard. Tears streamed from his eyes, body quaking. Why was Michelle being so selfish? Had she no compassion? Help finally arrived before Michelle could rape Aster further. Soseki had heard a lot of noise coming from Michelle's house and went to the farm with his concerns. Zephyr stood beside him, unable to believe what he was seeing. "What the hell are you doing to my brother?! Let him go!" Although the boy had arrived far too late, Aster was thrilled to see his younger brother, shamelessly shedding tears. Soseki did what he could to help, assisting Zephyr in dragging Aster to the clinic.

Word of the incident reached Syldra's ears and she felt horrible. She arrived at the clinic in time to witness Zephyr clouting Michelle hard across the face. He looked thoroughly pissed. Soseki explained to her what he'd seen and Syldra was disgusted, giving Michelle a much harder slap. The girl went off with several dents in her pride, leaving Syldra to try and console a petrified Aster. "It's okay, she can't hurt you now. I'm sorry. I should never have sent you. It's my fault." Zephyr hated seeing Syldra take all the blame, squeezing her shoulder. "Don't blame yourself, Syldra. None of us knew what that bitch was capable of. She could've done it to any of us. Even you if she wanted. I'll stay with him. You gotta focus on the farm, Syldra." "Thank you Zephyr. You're wise beyond your years. Please let me know if I can do anything to help." Syldra left the clinic still feeling terrible about what happened. Soseki offered to walk Syldra home but she declined, feeling eyes on her but she thanked him for his kindness. It would be a while before Aster could work again let alone be comfortable around women. All they could do was shower him with love and hopefully he wouldn't be scarred too deeply. Najka and Uta wasted no time, heading to the clinic once they knew Aster was hurt. With Aster away from the farm, Allen trod there without fear. Syldra did her best to be hospitable. "So where's greeny?" "He's not well, Allen." "What did Soseki want with you earlier?" "Soseki offered to walk me home but I told him I'd be fine. I don't mean to sound rude, Allen. But if all you've come to do is pry then please leave. I've still got a lot of work to do and with Aster gone it'll be harder."

August 21st saw Syldra winning the chicken festival. Allen had the balls to throw a celebration for Syldra, inviting Aster's family to join them at the restaurant. He wanted to gauge how long Aster would be out of the way for. Allen really rubbed Zephyr the wrong way when Morrigan cried for a feed. Syldra just sat there doing nothing, knowing what would happen of she took Zephyr's side. Zephyr now saw why Aster disliked Allen. He was selfish and downright heartless. All the fighting caused Syldra great distress so Cryska took her home, shooting down Zephyr's offer to go with them. Cryska hadn't done it to be cruel. She knew her sister would receive punishment if another man walked her home. It's why Syldra turned down Soseki's offer. Najka saw that Cryska was just protecting her sister, consoling Zephyr once they were back at the inn. None of them knew how Syldra could stand to love a man like Allen. He was possessive, wanted everything for himself and didn't care whose toes he stepped on getting something. Surely Syldra must've seen the signs by now that he didn't love her? All Allen wanted was a slave to do all the chores and a whore to rape when it suited him. Zephyr spent his night in Aster's room. Klaus had discharged him from the clinic with strict orders that he mustn't do anything strenuous. Seeing his older brother scared to go to sleep fuelled Zephyr's anger towards Michelle. After some soothing, Aster drifted off, and Zephyr lay watching him for a few hours.

August 22nd was blessed with warm sunshine. Just over a month ago, Syldra had sat with Allen at the river, their love blooming. Now she was prepared to take the next step…dating the stylist. It was Sunday, and Allen's day off. Syldra found Allen in his house doing nothing in particular so she showed him the ring. Allen removed his stylish glasses and sighed lightly. "Hold it, Syldra. Give the situation more thought, why don't you? A confession of love needs to take place somewhere more suited to a romantic mood. Come on, follow me." Allen sounded vaguely annoyed but Syldra followed him anyway, the ring tucked safely in her pocket. Their destination was the Harvest Goddess's pond. Once there, Allen took his glasses off again. "Oh man…you surprised me there. You just showed me that ring all of a sudden. That's a first for me! Well, I guess that shows how much you want to go out with me, huh? So that's not a bad thing I guess. Hey, Syldra, why don't you declare your love for me one more time right here?" As she was told, Syldra took the ring out of her pocket and showed it to Allen again. "All right, Syldra. I like you well enough. Sure, I'll go out with you. That means you're MY girl now. You better do your best to make sure you don't lose my favour. While we're at it, do you wanna change what we call each other? Like maybe use more romantic names. Any requests?" "I'm happy just to be called by my name." "Okay, got it. Hey, Syldra. Now that you're dating me, don't you go and get eyes for anyone else." Allen looked at his watch, acting all surprised. "Oops, look at the time. I've got to take off. See you later, Syldra." Said girl couldn't help but think she'd made the wrong choice as Allen walked away.

Two days later, after a long tiring day of working in the rain, Syldra felt a compelling need to see Allen despite how he treated her. It was about 8pm when she walked into the salon, finding her lover behind the counter on the work floor. "What's up, Syldra? Coming at this time of day, you must really want to see me." Syldra nodded, trying to keep a smile on her face. "You're so sweet Syldra." Sarcasm dripped from every word but Syldra was deaf to it. "It's really very cute! Come on, get over here." Syldra watched Allen walk over to one of the chairs and open a pot. "Allen what's that?" She asked innocently. "You want to know what I'm doing? Just checking some hair wax that I ordered. I've only given it a quick look over but it seems much better than the old stuff. Hey I know. Why don't you give this hair wax a try, Syldra?" "Okay." "Great. Step into my office of style!" Some minutes later, Syldra worried about Allen not saying anything so she spoke up. "I like it when you touch my hair." "It feels good? That's because I've got the magic fingers! Or perhaps it's because of your feelings for me?" "I'd say it's both." "Both is it? It sure feels great to have my cute girlfriend say things like that to me." Looking in the mirror, Syldra noticed Allen's cheeks going red. "I enjoy working with your hair as well. It feels so good to style." It made Syldra happy to hear those words. He blushed again. "Do you like it when I'm styling your hair?" Syldra nodded, happy as can be. "I'm glad to hear it."

Roughly 5-10 minutes later, Allen stepped back. Syldra's hair looked glossy and silky smooth. "There, I'm done, my princess. If you want me to touch your hair again, come back any time! You're all done, anyway. Time to close up shop." Syldra walked to the door, Allen's hand on her back. "Good night, Syldra." He whispered before leaning down to softly kiss her lips. "Good night, Allen." That night Syldra slept happily. Over the next couple of days, Allen showed his true colours more, not afraid to hit Syldra for whatever reason he could find. Aster had recovered from the assault but being near Michelle made him quiver. By August 26th Syldra realised she'd made a big mistake asking Allen out, terrified of being near him. Syldra went to visit Rod on the 27th regardless of Allen's order that she stay away from other guys. It was no later than 11am when she arrived at the cottage. Having known Rod for a few months, Syldra let herself in. Once inside she saw Rod training his dog. "That's it! Perfect! Well done, well done!" "Hey Rod." Called pet dealer sure was surprised to Syldra but happy nonetheless. "Ah, hello Syldra! Have you come to see me?" "I thought I'd stop by on my way out." "Great, I'm happy to see you! I'm just teaching my dog some tricks. He really needs the exercise!" The pug barked happily and wagged his tail. Rod suddenly remembered he wanted to ask Syldra something. "You keep chickens, don't you Syldra? Could I take a look at them?" "Sure, I don't see why not." "Great, thanks! Let's go right away!" Syldra happily took Rod to the farm, not knowing Allen was watching. Rod was very excited to see the chickens in the coop.

"Wow, how cute! They look tough to take car of, though." Syldra had an idea, setting her basket down. "Do you wanna give it a try?" Rod was pleased that Syldra asked, bouncing on the spot. "Wow, you sure? Thanks Syldra! Tell me everything I need to know, okay?" Syldra explained all the basics to Rod and showed him how to clean up. After that, Rod tried giving one of the chickens a treat but she got all flustered and skittered away. Rod wasn't sure what he'd done to upset the poor thing. "Don't worry. Aster had similar luck. Are you feeling okay?" Rod wiped some sweat from his brow, a bit puffed out. "Phew. I thought it would be tough, but you're not kidding! It was a lot of fun, too, though. I learned a lot! Thanks Syldra." "It's okay." Rod looked at his watch, a little worried. "I'd better be getting home, anyway. Let me take care of them again, okay? I'm looking forward to it already!" Syldra was sure her chickens weren't so enthusiastic about Rod coming back, walking him to the farm entrance. Aster watched him like a hawk from his seat by the house. It was only a matter of time before Syldra got hurt again. Aster wasn't blind to the signs of adoration coming from Rod. Looking around, he saw Zephyr teaching Cryska how to better handle the alpacas. He was slowly and carefully courting Cryska. Watching him grow up filled Aster with pride. Uta distracted him by setting a plate of cookies on his lap. He'd never admit it, but Aster was grateful to his friends and family.

Two days later, around 10am, Syldra went to sit down in the house under Aster's orders to get some rest. She'd just finished a cup of herbal tea when Rod arrived outside. He'd been worried the past couple of days since Syldra hadn't been out around town, sending Cryska and Uta to d the shopping. "Syldra, good morning. I'm coming in!" Seeing the adorable pet dealer set Syldra's heart aflutter, hoping he wouldn't notice the bruises she tried to hide. A basket hung from Rod's arm. "Oh. Good morning Rod. I wasn't expecting to see you today." "That's all right. Hey, Syldra. Have you got spare time? I was just about to head out to the top of the mountain for a picnic. Would you maybe like to come with me?" if Aster hadn't walked into the house, Syldra would've refused Rod's offer, knowing Allen would surely be angry. "Go on. We can handle things here. You need a break." Syldra would never be able to win an argument with Aster, nodding wearily. Rod was ecstatic, waiting somewhat impatiently. "Great! Let's go!" The duo walked in silence until they reach the lower mountain area. Rod had no trouble hiking along the path, but Syldra started to struggle a little, relieved when Rod stopped. "Wow! It sure does feel good this high up, doesn't it?" Turning around, the bouncy young man noticed that Syldra was getting tired. "We're almost there now, Syldra." Syldra bent over a little, trying to get her breath back, worrying Rod. "What's up, Syldra? Are you worn out? Do you need to take a break?" "But we're so close. I'm okay." "Let's press on then. Just a little more and we'll be there, Syldra! It'll be worth it I promise." Rod allowed Syldra a brief moment to regain her composure.

For the remained of the walk, Rod stuck by Syldra's side to support her. Once at the summit, they stretched in the sunlight. "We made it! Great work, Syldra. I made lunch for us. Do you want to eat it together, Syldra?" The young woman in question was quite nervous. For one thing, what if Allen saw her with Rod? Secondly, she was unsure of Rod's cooking skills, stuttering when giving an answer. "Well…I…um…" It didn't surprise Syldra when Rod pulled his adorable nervous/bashful face. "Hey, that's not a very nice reaction! I live alone, so I cook! I cook pretty well! I've got confidence in today's spread, too. Come on, let's eat!" The joking tone in Rod's voice reassured Syldra so she sat beside him and grabbed the nearest sandwich. It really was good! "Well? Tastes pretty good, doesn't it?" Syldra nodded since her mouth was still full. This in turn made Rod very happy. "I knew you'd like it! I'd make a pretty good homemaker, don't you think?" All of a sudden Rod became nervous. He actually had no idea that Syldra was seeing Allen. As she spoke again, his cheeks turned slightly red. "I think having a boyfriend like me would really help you out, Syldra." Rod's admission startled Syldra a little, hoping she hadn't heard that wrong. "Oh, did I just say that out loud? I'm just talking to myself, don't worry! I had a fun day today, Syldra. Let's go out again soon!" "S-Sure. I'd like that." Out of nowhere, Rod hugged Syldra but not too tight. She nervously held him back, yet felt safe in his arms.

"Come on, I'll walk you home. We'll take it slowly this time, I promise." Little that Rod and Syldra knew, Allen saw them arriving back in town, and even witnessed Rod giving Syldra, HIS girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. Allen made a mental note to "have words" with Syldra later. Some time after 5pm, Aster stopped by the restaurant to see Felicity, only to find a table laden with food. "Ah, Aster. Welcome!" "Hey, what's all this about?" Aster gestured to the table and Felicity giggled. "Oh, this dish here? That's my lunch!" Aster wanted to believe he'd heard wrong but knew this lass had quite the appetite. "I don't have many patrons at the moment so I'm just taking my lunch break. A little late lunch! Would you care to join me, Aster?" "Well I dunno. Syldra's expecting me back soon. Ahh, what the hell. Sure. It saves Niko having to feed me tonight." "Great! I love to eat with someone else. Food just tastes better when you're sharing it! Please, go ahead. Sit down!" With no objections, Aster sat opposite the spunky maid and placed an order. It wasn't long before Aster had a meal in front of him. Felicity clapped her hands together with an adorable smile. "Well then, let us give thanks to the one who made all the ingredients, and the one who prepared the meal!" In about 10 minutes, Felicity cleared her plate and Aster left nothing on his despite his decreased appetite after the attack. To his shock, she had room for more! "Let's eat this next." Aster remained silent as the waitress ate. Soon she had yet another meal in front of her. "Oh, but this looks good, too!" By now, Aster was a little worried, unsure how much more this lass could eat.

He was relieved when no more food arrived. Felicity looked fairly full, rubbing her stomach. "Phew, that was delicious! I can see why people come here to eat everyday! Hey, hold on a moment! Aster, there's still food on your plate. You're not going to eat that?" Aster had forgotten about the second course he'd ordered, deciding to let Felicity have it instead. He just couldn't bring himself to eat anymore. "If you think you've got room for it, Felicity, you can have it." "Wow, you're sure? Of course, I'll happily take it off your hands… Thanks!" 'She should be forcing me to eat something instead of taking me seriously. I know I need to eat something proper but I just can't.' In no time, the meal was gone and Felicity looked full at last. "Thank you so much for today. The food you shared with me was really delicious." "No worries. I enjoyed myself too." "Oh, I'm so happy! You're a very nice person, Aster. If possible, let's eat together again some time soon. I'm looking forward to it already!" "I'd like that. Well, I have to get going now. See you later, Felicity." "Bye!" As he left, Aster wondered how Felicity could eat so much and still be so slim. But he'd lied about enjoying himself. Just being near food made him feel sick. Why had Felicity not forced Aster to eat the meal he bought? Surely she must know he'd been skipping meals? After all, Felicity had been the one babying Aster the most after Michelle attacked him. Sooner or later his body would cave to the lack of nutrients.

Days drifted by after Aster visited Felicity at the restaurant. Dunhill confirmed Syldra would participate in the first gardening tour on 2nd of September. Aster's body finally gave in around September 5th and Klaus was getting very sick of seeing him. Syldra apologised for all the trouble and Klaus had softened. He understood Aster was going through a tough time, advising Syldra to force food into him if it came to it. This applied to everyone else too. For now to try and get Aster's strength back up he'd be on nutritional shakes since food itself repulsed him. Klaus gave Syldra a lot of recipes that would benefit her sickly farmhand. Obviously Aster was very stubborn about the idea of food shakes but he was given no choice in the matter. So that Syldra would receive no hatred for forcing the drinks down Aster's neck, Neil willingly volunteered, leaving Zephyr with the task of holding his brother down. After five days of being force-fed, Aster looked at least a little healthier but poor Neil looked worse as days went by no thanks to the punches he took. Being at the farm gave the animal dealer chance to develop secret feeling for a certain other girl, keeping his distance due to nerves. Having to put Aster through such torture was whittling away at Zephyr's sanity. He felt horrible about it. But Cryska was always there to pick him back up, saying it was for Aster's own good. That he shouldn't feel like the bad guy. On the odd occasion Zephyr would revoke against her soothing but that only made him feel worse. Yet Cryska did not turn away from him. It would take more than a few verbal lashings to throw Cryska off course.

Early September 11th Dunhill stopped by the farm. "Good morning, girls. May I come in?" "It's open." Syldra already knew what day it was, feeling on edge. "Today is the gardening tour. Everyone is already at the gardening space so let's go over to the event stage!" Syldra nervously followed Dunhill to the gardening space, worried things wouldn't go well. "It's our very first one! We have 8 people here to watch. Now let's go and view some gardening! Take it away, Syldra!" Said farm girl did just that, her nerves growing worse. As she suspected, nobody really liked the garden but she'd tried her hardest. Working the farm left little time to prepare a decent garden. "I think it's about time to call it a day. To all participants, thank you very much for coming out today." Mentioned people were annoyed tat their time had been wasted. Syldra lost heart, not cheering up when Dunhill approached her. "Oh, Syldra. Here's the money you've earned. I hope you'll use it for future gardening endeavours. I have high hopes for the next tour, good luck. Well now, I think we'll excuse ourselves." Dunhill handed Syldra a pouch and then left with the others. Syldra looked inside, finding 1064G. She'd expected it to be empty. Syldra vowed to put the money to good use. For the rest of the day, she worked hard beside everyone else, including Aster who was limited to light work until his full strength had returned. She also hired some contractors to upgrade her house. It would take about 2 weeks so she and Cryska would be staying at the inn.


	12. Free

The bulk upload ends here. Over the last few chapters I have depicted Allen from my personal experience with him in game.

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><p>Chapter 12<p>

Free

Syldra's relationship with Allen continued to decline the more he showed his real nature. Aster could see Syldra was suffering but he could do nothing unless she came out and talked to him about it. She avoided going into town whenever possible just to keep away from Allen. Every few nights, Zephyr would go walking with Cryska leaving Syldra vulnerable now the house was finished. On the bright side, Aster's strength was really coming back and he was able to swallow small meals like soups and soft salads. Tina, Iroha and Yuri gave him nightly work outs, boosting his lost stamina. On September 22nd Aster paid Felicity a visit around 11:20am to find she already had company in the form of Tina. The girls noticed Aster quickly and it was Felicity to react first. "Aster! Have you come to see me? I'm so glad! I've got something I need to do, though, so can you wait just a moment?" "Sure. Take as long as you need." With Felicity out of the room, Tina got all flirty. "Hey, handsome." "Hey dumpling. What are you doing here?" Tina squeaked a little when Aster groped her butt and nibbled her ear. "I'm just getting Felicity to write an article. One of the journalists I work with has asked her to write something for the paper." Aster cocked his head to the side, unsure why somebody would want Felicity to write an article for a paper. "Is Felicity famous or somethin'?" Tina realised Aster knew next to nothing about Felicity, choosing to explain.

"You don't know about that yet, do you? You might not think so just by looking at her, but Felicity's something of a famous food critic. Not only does she really know her stuff, but she has a way with food related words. Food lovers love her!" The revelation of Felicity being a food critic shocks Aster but also makes him worry a little. Right on cue, Felicity came back with some papers in her hand. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Tina! Here's the finished text." Said reporter took the papers gladly. "Thanks Felicity! You've really saved my bacon on this one. I'll be sure to send some cookies your way! My work here is done. See you later, Aster!" her task finished, Tina left the room, leaving Aster with Felicity, alone. Felicity pulled an adorable annoyed face, confusing Aster. "All that writing about food has made me want to eat some!" "It's about lunch time, so how about we go back to the farm and have Syldra cook something up." "Oh, Aster, you're going to treat me? Wow, thanks so much! Although if possible…I'd like to eat something cooked by you, Aster. Will you cook for me?" Aster went deathly pale, mind running rampant. 'Crap! I can cook, but I dunno if she'll be satisfied with such low skill.' With a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Okay, sure. Hope you're real hungry." Felicity literally jumped for joy. "Great! Then let's get going to the farm, Aster!" the young maid was so happy, she hugged Aster's arm on the way there. Syldra was briefed on the situation.

She allowed Aster to cook up some egg soup for dinner…or rather for him and Felicity. She'd already fed the others. Within 20 minutes, the soup was ready. Aster set a big bowl in front of Felicity, sitting down with a smaller one for him. "Wow, what a delicious looking egg soup! Let's see how it tastes!" Aster's gut churned as he watched Felicity sipping at the still hot soup. She fell silent before her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "This soup is…wonderful! You really know your way around a kitchen, Aster!" Said man felt a heavy burden lifting from his shoulders, relaxing enough to finally eat. Soon both bowls were cleaned of all the soup and Felicity looked thrilled. "Thank you for the delicious food, Aster. It really was wonderful!" "I'm happy to have pleased a food critic, Felicity." Felicity blinked, not sure she'd heard correctly. "What's that? You're happy to have pleased a food critic? Aster, how did you know about that?" "Tina told me in your room. I was a bit worried, to be honest. I'm not all that good a cook." "I see…Tina told you." Felicity appeared to sadden, confusing Aster. "When people find out I'm a food critic, they tend to stop cooking for me. They're worried that I'll start to get all critical on their culinary skills." Aster scoffed at the reasoning, carefully taking hold of Felicity's shoulder. "That's just plain daft! Your opinion could help people to cook better, me included." Felicity's mood brightened, looking hopefully up at Aster. "So for you to know that and still make me something…I'm so happy! Thank you so much, Aster! Today will be a day I remember forever. Please come by my room tonight so I can thank you properly." "I'll be there, don't you worry Felicity."

For the rest of the day, Aster threw his back into working. Not long after returning to the inn, he was confronted by a very nervous Zephyr. Aster figured it was about Cryska. "Spit it out, I don't have all night, Zephyr." "Well I. I've been thinking for a while about maybe taking things further with Cryska." Aster's face turned serious but also showed understanding, sitting his brother on the bed. "Are you absolutely certain she's the girl you want to spend the rest of your life with? I don't want you turning out like me. Plus Cryska will probably end up broken hearted. She cares for you, Zephyr." "I know, Aster. But yes, I'm certain. I'm just…worried I'll end up looking too desperate. I know she'll run from me if I get too hasty. And no, I don't want you breaking her in on my behalf." "I'd never get within an inch of Cryska anyway. Syldra would sooner have my head on a pike than let me lay a finger on her sister. I don't really know what to say, Zephyr. I guess…just take it slow. See if she's ready for you. Don't push if Cryska fights. Touch first, strip later if you receive no resistance. I find kissing helps ease a girl along but it might not work for all of them." Just in case Zephyr did end up boning Cryska, Aster sent his brother off with protection and instructions of how to use it. He doubted the younger Kunimi would be a horny fiend but the quiet ones were always the ones to be careful of. Zephyr spent a good hour getting ready for his "date" with Cryska.

Some time after 9pm, a knock came to Zephyr's door. Outside he saw Cryska dressed up with braided hair. She was so pretty he forgot to breathe. Coming back to his senses, Zephyr let Cryska inside. So that neither Najka nor Uta walked in uninvited, as was their habit, Zephyr locked the door. "Don't worry, Crys. I just don't want anybody barging in on us. You err. You look very beautiful tonight." Seeing Zephyr was nervous made Cryska feel a little better, huddling close to him. "Syldra warned me. That you might want to go further with me." Zephyr went pale. Was he really that predictable? "W-What makes her think that? I know we've spent a lot of time together but…" "She's been watching you…or rather your crotch area." 'Damn!' Cryska laughed at the look of sheer horror on Zephyr's face, stroking his cheek softly. "Don't worry. I've known for a while now that you get excited looking at me. Especially with those walks we've been having. But…I don't mind." "Y-you don't? I won't push you into anything you don't wanna do, Crys. If you're not prepared to take the jump, I'll understand. It's a scary thing." "How long would you be willing to wait, Zephyr?" Cryska's eyes were pleading. She needed to know there was nobody who could steal him away from her. Zephyr cupped Cryska's face in his large hands and kissed her nose. "As long as it takes. My eyes are only ever on you, Cryska. I don't want anybody else. I'd wait until the end of days for you to want me that way. No other woman on this Earth can make me feel the way you do. Not even your sister. And if I wasn't ready, would you wait for me, Cryska? Til the end of time?"

Cryska was too embarrassed to say anything but gave a vague nod. Her smile was all Zephyr needed to see. He was careful about getting closer, lowering his head down to her level. She didn't shy away, looking up at him nervously. Cryska's cheeks were washed pink the second Zephyr closed the small gap between them, his arms winding around her waist. Cryska's fingers becoming tangled in Zephyr's jet black hair got him all fired up, hands exploring every inch of her figure. Cryska hadn't taken her coat off, Zephyr's fingers working on the buttons. Beneath it he saw a cute baby blue belly top and knee length pastel yellow skirt with pink/peach striped thigh high socks. Her shoes were nothing too fancy, just white Mary Janes. Zephyr didn't fight as he felt his shirt being unbuttoned, allowing Cryska to rip it away. Her blush darkened a few shades upon feeling how excited he was through his white jeans. "It's okay." He whispered. "I won't force you to let me in. If you wanna stop just say the word." Cryska clung to Zephyr's toned upper body, afraid to be torn from him. His trousers going down sent him beet red in the face but returned the gesture, slowly taking Cryska's clothes off until they were both only wearing their smallclothes. Zephyr was eager to explore the new skin, hands caressing every inch of it. He even snuck them into Cryska's hotpants, giving her bum a firm squeeze. In return, she fiercely grabbed the bulge in his briefs.

Landing on the bed, they shared a fierier kiss, smallclothes gone. All the excitement got Cryska's nipples super stiff but Zephyr was too preoccupied kissing the hell out of her lips. With a little persuasion, he kissed a trail down Cryska's slim body. Small moans from her sent a chill down Zephyr's spine. Arriving at a cleanly shaven pussy, Zephyr was uncertain about sticking his face in it. Thinking it wouldn't hurt to try, he first gave her pussy lips a little lick. The reaction provided filled him with daring, taking a fierce hold of Cryska's chunky hips. Hearing Cryska moan his name felt so satisfying, coming up for air. Not caring where Zephyr's tongue had just been, she pulled him down for another kiss. So eager was he to bound over the final hurdle, Zephyr nearly forgot the square packet given to him by Aster. "Hold on. I almost forgot something." Cryska whined, not wanting Zephyr to pull away. His stiff dick looked very inviting, not to mention big. Zephyr had been fumbling around, trying to find the condom under his pillow when something warm and positively mouth-like engulfed his innocent manhood. Looking down, he caught Cryska giving him head. Drawing back to rest on his knees, Zephyr took the eager girl's head in both hands. The feeling of pleasure was alien to him and his body shook, unsure of how to take the rush of pure bliss. "C-Cryska. S-Stop, please." Cryska complied only to be pushed down, Zephyr looming over her hungrily. She worried he was angry at her, but then they kissed. With the feisty lavender haired maiden pinned, Zephyr ripped open the square packet and rolled its contents onto his aching erection.

He wanted Cryska badly, forcing back the urge to just pound her hard. They clung desperately to each other, sharing yet another kiss. Zephyr could soon go no further, pulling out of the kiss to look at Cryska. Her beautiful eyes glistened with the pain she felt but also happiness. She was a girl no longer. Cryska whispered honeyed words into Zephyr's ear, taking the time to nibble it. Hearing such sweet sounds spurred him into action, more out of an instinct Zephyr didn't know he had. Within minutes the bed groaned under the weight of love making. Cryska had managed to roll Zephyr over somehow, riding him with reddened cheeks as he moaned her name. The climax loomed near and Zephyr regained control, thrusting hard and eager into his defiled lover, clinging to her love drunk body. He saw white as his seed came bursting out, groaning in ecstasy into Cryska's sweaty neck as she did his. Together they had finally become adults. Now all in the room was quiet, the sound of somebody else getting laid could be heard. Zephyr had no doubt it was his brother. All it took to get him hard again was the feel of Cryska's silky breasts against his chest. She didn't fight, allowing Zephyr to release his frustration. By the time he came again, she was shattered. Their bodies ached from all the love they'd just made, lungs screaming for oxygen. "Thank you…Cryska. I promise I'll be loyal to you my little chocolate drop." "And I you, my red eyed stallion. I love you, Zephyr." "Ditto, my sweet. Go to sleep."

When Cryska returned to the farm the next morning, Syldra no longer saw a frightened little girl. Her baby sister was a woman now, proud and strong. She'd make Zephyr a fine wife one day. Aster clapped Zephyr on the back, knocking the wind out of him, telling his younger brother just how proud he was. Gone was the little scamp he'd cared for. In his place stood the happiest man Aster had ever seen. Syldra even told Zephyr that from now on, any funny business was to be done under her roof because of Niko being at the inn. He went bright red of course, especially now Najka knew he'd just lost his virginity at 16. But she couldn't be mad at him for long. Now it just left Uta. She was far from asking Neil out and Syldra felt she might need to drop some hints in Neil's direction that a pretty girl like Uta wouldn't stay single for very long. But that would invoke Allen's wrath if done in person. For the next month, Syldra lived in fear more each day. Zephyr took Cryska out on dates every week, giving Allen the freedom to do what he pleased to Syldra. He was angry that she never visited him anymore. Whenever Syldra needed her hair cut she'd ask Najka, using the excuse that she couldn't afford to splurge so much money on a simple trim but the mother of four knew the real reason, respectfully waiting for Syldra to admit to being beaten about. October rolled in with little effort but for Syldra, the days dragged by painfully slow. She'd started triple locking the door at night and if Cryska went out with Zephyr, she'd have to stay at the inn with him. The townsfolk worried more every passing day. Syldra skipped every festival she possibly could just to avoid Allen.

At midday, 25th of October, Syldra, Cryska, Aster and his family went to the festival grounds for the foliage festival. It had been difficult for the now healthy Aster to get Syldra out of the house given her issues with an abusive boyfriend. Once everyone had gathered, Dunhill clapped his hands for attention. "We will now begin the foliage festival. Let's enjoy the view of the red foliage in the forest and then gather leaves for the bonfire. Let's go!" Everyone but Syldra shared Dunhill's excitement. Aster paired up with Felicity, grabbing her from behind. Syldra was approached by Iroha before Allen had chance to close in. "Syldra, would you like to go and pick up fallen leaves together? I would also like to have a talk with you." Syldra nervously accepted Iroha's offer and together they headed into the forest. It didn't take the girls long to gather two sacks of fallen leaves. Seeing the red leaves of autumn reminded Iroha of her homeland. "The foliage us beautiful. The autumnal leaves in my hometown are also quite a sight to see. Oh, yes. We have events where we enjoy the red leaves under the moon while listening to kotos and flutes. If you would like, you can come visit my hometown. I'm sure you will enjoy it." Syldra and Iroha spent the rest of their time gathering by talking about cooking and other things until… "I picked up enough fallen leaves, so let's go back. Right this way, everyone!" Iroha saddened. She'd hoped Syldra would confess to her troubles.

"Shall we return, Syldra? Gathering these leaves has made me quite hungry. I'm sure the sweet potatoes will be very delicious." Syldra had no arguments so she and Iroha went back to the festival grounds where a bonfire would be started. Everyone waited patiently for the potatoes to cook, talking amongst themselves. Iroha stuck to Syldra like glue, keeping Allen at a safe distance. "I'm glad to be able to have gone with you, Syldra. I had a wonderful time. It would be nice if we could come together next year as well. I will be looking forward to it." Once everyone had some roasted sweet potatoes Syldra went to eat hers in a quiet corner… under Allen's watchful gaze. Of course Uta and the kids tried to cheer her up but to no avail. Syldra went to bed as soon as she got home and that made Aster worry more. Despite the intimacy he'd shared with the young farmer, he saw her as family now. And in Aster's books, Allen was pushing his luck with how he treated Syldra. Aster also wasn't blind to Rod's wandering blue eyes, but felt the bouncy young adult meant no harm. At 7pm Aster's family went back to the inn while he checked on Syldra. She was fast asleep in her bed in a short sleeved nightie. Seeing the bruises on Syldra's arms fuelled Aster's hatred toward Allen, silently vowing to hurt him seriously if he caused Syldra any more pain. Aster crept out of the room so not to disturb Syldra and went to court Felicity once again. The young waitress was always eager for more of him but the other girls got their share too. After boning Felicity Aster went back to his room but was distracted by crying on the way. Stepping into Najka's room Aster found Morrigan screaming.

The morning of October 30th went by normally, and at midday, Syldra went to the crop festival with Aster and his family, Cryska clinging to her arm. It had taken some persuasion to get Syldra to enter with a lovely looking apple. She'd be taking on the intermediate class. You could feel the tension as Emma judged the crops. Syldra couldn't be happier when she was announced as the winner. In the audience, Syldra could see Allen giving her an angry look, knowing exactly why. It was because she'd been avoiding him. With the festival over, Syldra got back to work beside the others while Najka prepared dinner. She'd be making it extra special since Syldra won the festival. Aster wasn't blind to Syldra's paranoia, always looking around at the slightest snapping twig. When the night came, Syldra sat in bed fearfully. Cryska was spending another night with Zephyr, leaving her sister all alone. The fear of Allen showing up to hurt her despite every door and window being locked was too great to ignore. At around midnight, Syldra finally managed to get to sleep. Syldra wished she'd heeded Aster's warning now it was too late. Her dreams were filled with nightmares revolving around the way Allen treated her. In them, he even abused Cryska, forcing the girl down to rape her. Nobody was there to save them, not even Aster. The Harvest Goddess, concerned for Syldra, appeared in the room and placed a hand on her quivering shoulder and banished the nightmares.

Finally the pumpkin festival was at hand. Syldra tended the farm first before the kids came calling for some candy. First it was Hina who visited. Aster was more tolerant of her presence now than the boys and they played a little while Syldra got a sweet pudding from the fridge. Next in line was Toni. Despite being the first child in town that Aster met, the tall greenette still felt a little threatened by him. Toni ate his treat there at the farm, knowing Rebecca would likely be furious to find him eating sweets before lunch. Niko arrived with Felicity some minutes before noon. Niko was happy to receive some candy from both Syldra and Aster. Felicity was in the kitchen being taught how to cook by Najka. The last person to visit was Rod. To his surprise, he got some candy too. Instead of declining the sweet treat, Rod accepted it happily. With all the candy given, the small family sat down for dinner. Felicity didn't join them, heading off to the restaurant. At around 3:30pm, Dunhill arrived at the farmhouse while the group sat down to rest. "Hello, everyone. You look like you've been working hard. Today is the pumpkin festival, remember? On this occasion everyone joins together to build a house made of candy. Would you like to join us?" Aster stood from his seat, taking hold of Syldra's arm. "Sure, I don't see why not. No buts, Syldra, you're coming too." Said girl had a pleading look in her eyes but Aster would not be swayed. "All right! Now let's head over to the event square!" The walk to the festival ground was silent and they arrived in no time. Syldra cowered in fear when Allen glared in her direction. Aster stood in front of her, fists balled.

Before a fight could break out, Dunhill cleared his throat for attention. "Now then, it's time to begin making our houses of candy. Make groups of up to five people and designate a leader. Now let's get building!" Syldra teamed up with the kids and Neil while Aster claimed Tina, Iroha, Felicity and Yuri. Michelle kept her distance, joining forces with Allen. After about an hour, all the houses were complete. Sadly, Syldra's was one of the smallest but the kids didn't care. Once again, Dunhill drew all attention to him. "Good work everyone. Now let's appreciate all the fine work that went into the houses while chowing down on some sweets. Come get some!" Everyone grouped up into pairs this time and Syldra got Toni. "Hey, Syldra. This festival is supposed to be for us kids, right? So let's have fun together! I really like you, so I want to play together, Syldra!" "Well…okay. I suppose it won't hurt." Toni jumped for joy, his candy forgotten. "All right! You promise?" "I promise. Cross my heart." Syldra didn't expect the boy to hug her. He'd always seemed too boyish for hugs. Hina and Niko joined in, filling Syldra with the feeling of being truly loved. The children looked up to her, and no doubt Morrigan would too. It was very late when the festival ended so Syldra went straight to bed after returning home. Aster's evening was spent with Morrigan. Najka was too exhausted to look after the girl so he'd stepped in. Cradling his infant sister reminded Aster of when Zephyr and Uta were her age.

The morning was cold when Syldra woke up. A hug from Cryska warmed her up fast enough. At around noon, Syldra, Aster, Zephyr, Uta and Cryska all went into town. Neil had new animals to sell now winter had rolled in. Yaks stood unaffected by the cold. Regardless of the high price, Syldra purchased two, naming them Yusuka and Hira. "Hey, thanks. I should hopefully have llamas to sell as of tomorrow, so stop by some time." "Thanks, Neil. I'll be sure to come visit." While Aster and Zephyr took the yaks to the farm, the girls went to the General Store to buy new seeds and recipes. After settling the yaks in, Syldra took the girls foraging, leaving the men to plant the new crop seeds. Next morning a letter arrived saying Neil had new stock, as did Hana. Syldra threw her back into her morning work before heading out to see Neil, Aster at her side. True to his word, Neil had llamas for sale. Syldra only bought one for now, affectionately calling the Fluffy creature Fiona. Syldra also got a white Alsatian named Kisha. The new helper settled in fast, allowing everyone to get on with their jobs.

It was bitterly cold in the morning of November 3rd but Syldra and Cryska got out of bed to wait for the others to arrive. Some time after 10am they all went to the plaza. Syldra purchased a second llama called Ankoku. Like last time, Aster and Zephyr took the animal to the farm so the girls could go shopping. Since Christmas was close by, they all had to buy presents for their loved ones and the townsfolk they liked. Allen, angry that Syldra had avoided him for over a month, sent her a letter, summoning the farmer to his house in the late night.

Syldra feared what Allen planned to do to her, requesting that Zephyr and Neil speak with her in private. She felt that Allen would likely cross the line tonight. Rod had been spending more time with Syldra over the last two months while she was still tied to Allen. He'd laid the rule that no other man was allowed to touch her. But Rod did touch Syldra, only where she allowed. Most times it was just a cuddle or a squeeze of the shoulder. Allen was currently out walking so he wouldn't know that Syldra had called for Neil and Zephyr. She didn't want to get Rod or Aster involved and they both understood. Syldra had no desire to face her boyfriend but it was time to end the relationship. Later once the street lights were lit, Syldra ventured to Allen's house with Neil and Zephyr following in the shadows. She'd put on her least attractive clothes to see him. Allen answered the door a little too quickly for Syldra's liking, panicking when he took her upstairs. Syldra had never given herself wholly to Allen, immediately noticing the bed was equipped with handcuffs. There was also a cloth rag on the table. "Allen, what's going on?" "It's about time I put you in your place you little slut. Too many times you've waltzed off with another guy thinking I wouldn't notice." "It's not like that!" The back of Allen's hand sharply met Syldra's paled cheek. Outside, Neil and Zephyr tensed. They wanted to burst in but it wasn't yet time. Aster would surely kill them when he found out.

Syldra knelt on the floor nursing her cheek as yelled at the top of his lungs about how she'd been unfaithful to him. Her fears became reality when Allen tried forcing her to the bed, his belt undone. "Allen stop!" The signal had been given at last. Allen flinched at the sound of his door being broken down but he continued forcing Syldra to the bed, failing to rip away her clothes. The boys arrived in time to stop him cuffing her to the bed. Zephyr comforted Syldra while Neil gave Allen a good beating. Lights went on around town as the noise woke everyone up. Tina was the first at the scene, sprinting to Dunhill's house to let him know the police were needed. Several cop cars arrived at the town within minutes of being called. There was apparently a station not far away. Allen was cuffed and shoved into the back of one car just in time. Aster had been storming toward the salon wearing nothing but trousers and a coat. Seeing that Neil had run to Syldra's aid when she needed it changed how Aster saw him. Syldra was allowed home after being questioned. Cryska pounced at the chance to comfort her assaulted sister, thanking Zephyr and Neil for their help. Early next morning they were told Allen would be put behind bars without a trial. He'd be locked up for a good few months at the least. Syldra was still very shaken from the event that transpired. She even feared Zephyr, one of her saviours. Syldra tried to push away as he gripped her tightly in his arms. Sitting on the couch, Zephyr placed Syldra on his lap and slowly rocked back and forth, stroking her hair tenderly with the occasional kiss to the forehead. Cryska walked in to see her boyfriend comforting her distraught sister the only way he knew how.

Three days later, no snow fell from the sky when Syldra woke up at 6am. She and Cryska waited for Aster's side to arrive after breakfast. Once the shops were open, Syldra headed for Neil's stall. He only had spotted Jersey cows today, so Syldra bought one, naming the bovine Khala. A day later, she bout a solid brown Jersey cow. She joined the herd as Luka. Syldra was less nervous of Zephyr now after all the cuddles he showered her with. That day she saw Aster cradling Morrigan for the first time. He'd always been too proud to do so around others but with Najka ill, the girl was his responsibility. Morrigan was content in Aster's strong arms, clutching both his finger and the soft toy crafted by Syldra. Her mop of green hair was getting dark at the tips, one eyed red. It served as a bitter reminder of the man who sired her and the twins. Aster swore to protect the fragile being until the day he died. Even when she was all grown up, he'd be there. The other girls in town would visit at varying hours just to make sure Syldra was safe. Hina, Toni and Niko couldn't wait for Morrigan to grow up. Syldra was grateful for all the support her friends and family gave, writing a letter to her parents. With any luck they could make it for Christmas and new years' after that. Having the family together would be a welcome relief. Aster resented all the cute remarks he was getting, threatening to break any finger that went near Morrigan, arms around his sibling protectively.

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><p>I'm not sure how long the next update will take. I'm going through a stressful time at the moment and might not have much time to write or the motivation<p> 


	13. Cruel Reality

An unexpected twist will be found in this chapter

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Cruel Reality

Two days later, Syldra went about her usual morning duties with a spring in her step. Today it was Neil's birthday so she planned to treat him in private. With Allen gone, Syldra was free to do as she pleased. Work had been started atop the hill in the west side of town along with a lavish fountain. Both structures would take a long time to complete. Being a clear Wednesday, Neil would be working. Syldra went to his stall around 11am. "Hi Neil. I have something for you." Neil turned around as Syldra pulled a canister of Jersey milk from behind her back. "What is it Syldra? A birthday present?" "Yup. For you." "Hmm. For me, eh? If you insist, I'll accept. Thank you." "I'll come by later and give you a real birthday gift. Look forward to it." Since Neil had returned his attention to working, Syldra pulled him into a kiss by the collar of his coat. He nervously accepted before urging Syldra that he had work to do, as did she. Uta also had a little gift for Neil to show her affection. It wasn't much, just a music CD but he still liked it. Syldra went to Neil's house that night all glammed up. Seeing her in such a short skirt had Neil's manhood reaching for the heavens in no time. He'd never admit it to her face, but Neil missed the days and nights he'd make love to Syldra, savouring every inch of her. Syldra went to bed that night exhausted and feeling fulfilled. In five days it would be winter Harmony day.

Five days passed easily and on 14th of November, Syldra was waiting for the rush of boys who would likely arrive in response to the letters she'd sent out. Cryska had helped her sister to prepare a lot of puddings the previous night. First to arrive was Aster and Zephyr. They both received their pudding the second they stepped through the door. Of course, being the flirt he'd become, Aster spanked Syldra, saying he'd be back later to thank her properly. Zephyr settled for kissing Syldra on the cheek. He got a second pudding from Cryska, promising that he'd be back to do her later on. No doubt more treats awaited Aster from Yuri, Iroha, Tina and Felicity. He'd be very busy throughout the day. Neil arrived next looking none too pleased. Syldra made sure his pudding wasn't too sweet, knowing he'd have heartburn otherwise. Syldra had warned Uta, knowing the girl would want to give Neil some candy. He plainly thanked Syldra and took his pudding with him in time for Rod's arrival. The plucky ginger gladly ate his pudding, hugging Syldra tight afterwards. Soseki was the last to arrive later in the day, praising Syldra for how well made the sweet treats were. In the dark of night, Aster and Zephyr returned to the farmhouse to "thank" the sisters properly. Getting them into bed and out of their clothes was comparatively easy. Syldra couldn't remember the last time Aster fucked her, struggling to take all of him, swearing he'd grown an inch or two.

After two more days and having boned all but one young girl in town numerous times, Aster decided that Felicity was the one for him. He'd bought a ring and intended to ask her out. Aster managed to pin Felicity in the restaurant, pulling the ring out of his pocket. For now, the waitress just giggle. "Tee heehee. We should do this somewhere more romantic. Let's go somewhere else, Aster. And then can you please try that one more time?" With no customers at the present time, Clement allowed Felicity to leave with Aster. Together they went to the Harvest Goddess's pond. Once there, Felicity relaxed a little. "All right, this seems like a fine place. Hey, Aster, please show me that ring one more time." As asked, Aster revealed the ring and Felicity went a cute shade of pink that he found adorable. "You know, I was actually just waiting for you to ask me out. I love you too, Aster." Hearing that, Aster felt bad. "You were? I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I just…wanted to make sure you were the one, Felicity." Aster slipped the ring onto Felicity's left index finger and she smiled, admiring the silver band. Her happiness made all the guilt Aster felt fade away. "Now it's official that we're S-W-E-E-T-H-E-A-R-T-S. I'm so happy! Given the special occasion, how about we change up what we call each other as a symbol of our love? I suppose we could stick with this. What do you think?" "If it makes you happy. Then from now on, I'll call you Muffin. But…what would you call me?" "How about Pepper? As in vegetable pepper? You're hot, with a spicy temper and hard in all the right places." Aster found himself blushing, but accepted the name Pepper.

"Pepper it is then! I hope to hear you calling my name more often now, as well. After all, just hearing you say my name is enough to make me happy." "Your wish is my command, Muffin. Come on, I'll walk you back to town. I'm sure you've got things you want to do." "How sweet of you, Pepper. Let's go then." It made Aster's day to see the beaming smile on Felicity's face, kissing her passionately before they left the mountain and groped her butt during a hug outside town. He silently promised to make her the happiest girl in town. The silver ring on Aster's finger didn't go unnoticed by his family. He didn't want any well wishes but they gave them anyway. Everyone went to the restaurant for supper and to Aster's misfortune, Felicity went and announced their relationship in front of all the customers. The look of horror on his face was priceless, especially when Felicity kissed him on the cheek. Rod happened to be in the building, wolf whistling at the couple. After that, his eyes were only on Syldra. Much later that night, Aster snuck into Felicity's room to punish her for revealing their relationship to the whole town. Things were finally starting to look up in Echo Town. Everybody hoped no more bad things happened. Syldra and Cryska eagerly awaited the arrival of their parents with every passing day. Temujin and Karla wouldn't be there for another month but it didn't stop the sisters from being excited to see them. Syldra wondered if she'd ever find another lover.

The morning of November 18th saw Syldra getting out of bed with a stretch and a yawn. Arriving downstairs revealed Cryska at the oven. Today it was the sheep festival and Syldra would be entering with Kylie. With Allen no longer in town, she wasn't afraid to compete. However she wasn't overly confident, choosing to enter the beginner's class this time around. Syldra had only won one animal festival so far and that was the chicken festival. She'd come second in the cow festival. Nail biting tension filled the air as everyone waited for the verdict. Syldra felt relieved hearing she and Kylie were the victors. After the awards ceremony, Rod treated Syldra to dinner at Clement's place. The portly chef declared the meal on the house after Syldra's win and for her show of courage. Having a meal with Rod strengthened Syldra's feelings for the pet dealer. It worked both ways. Rod couldn't take his eyes away from Syldra for too long. All he really knew was that she'd recently split from her lover. It was too soon to ask the farmer out. Rod believed that Allen's departure from town was just a poorly timed coincidence. Aster obviously kept an eagle eye on Rod when possible. Twice now Syldra had been hurt. Bitten twice, four times as shy. Rod walked Syldra home close to 5pm. She was very nervous of him when on her own. He left Syldra at the door, softly kissing her hand. Rod was off like a rocket when the door opened and Aster could be seen in the doorway. How long would it be, he wondered, before Rod made a move on Syldra? Or would the pet dealer wait for her to go to him? From what Aster knew, Rod was a very considerate person.

Bright and early next morning Syldra and Cryska heard a familiar elderly voice outside. "Syldra? Cryska? Are you here?" "Come on in, Hana. It's open." The elderly store owner hobbled in, shivering slightly from the cold. "Sorry for disturbing you so early. My husband has just come back from his trip and has come to say hello." Syldra remembered Hana telling her about her husband, shocked to hear he'd returned. Into Syldra's house came an overly tanned man with hair shaped like a volcano. "Oh, you're Syldra, are you? I've heard all about you from Hana's letters. My name is Kosaburo. Do you like fishing, Syldra?" "A little." "I'm a master fisherman, if you can believe it. Ask me anything you like about fishing! "It's great to meet you too." Hana had been sitting on the sofa while Kosaburo introduced himself, standing up with help from Cryska. "Now my husband is back, I'm going to start a fishing shop at the General Store. We'll be selling everything you need in order to fish, including bait. My husband is a bit of a character but I'm sure we'll all get along." Syldra didn't doubt that, turning back to Kosaburo. "See you again, Syldra. Take care." Dunhill came by a little later that day to say a fishing festival would be held next August. Looking at her calendar, Syldra noticed there was a festival for couples coming up. Cryska made sure Dunhill knew not to approach Syldra about the event, knowing just how upset her sister would be. The next night, Syldra sat at home alone.

Not much happened for the rest of the month. Up near the festival grounds, a house had been built for Aster and his family to live in and had just been finished around the 4th of December. On the 7th, Aster received gifts from almost everyone. He figured Felicity was waiting until the evening to visit him. He returned home exhausted after a long day, flopping down onto his bed. Aster soon had a visitor. "Pepper, good evening. I'm coming in!" To Aster's glee, declivity was in some rather revealing clothes. "Pepper, I hope you're not too tired. This is what you've been waiting for! Let's celebrate your birthday!" "If you insist, Muffin." Aster's eyes wandered to the basket on Felicity's arm. She set a variety of food onto a table after moving it closer to the bed. "I worked really hard on this, as it's a special occasion. Please, eat your fill! Shall we get started?" The food had a familiar flair to it but Aster didn't complain. After the meal, he relaxed while Felicity cleaned up. "Pepper, I've finished cleaning up. You look satisfied with tonight's feast. I'm so happy! Here you are, Pepper. Happy birthday! It isn't much but please accept this gift." It was just a scarf but Aster didn't care. In his opinion, her gift was the best he'd gotten all day. Heat rose to her cheeks all of a sudden. "Please stay the same sweet, dear Pepper for all the years to come! I love you." "I love you too, Muffin." Felicity pecked Aster on the lips and turned to leave but he caught her wrist. "And just where do you think you're going dressed like that? Bring your sweet little ass back here." Felicity had no chance to protest as Aster's lips met hers and she found herself naked in his bed.

Early December 12th, Dunhill could be heard outside Syldra's house. Aster, Uta and Zephyr were already there. "Hey there, Syldra! Are you awake?" "Of course I'm awake!" This was the first time Syldra had ever snapped at anyone and suffice to say, they were all a bit scared. Dunhill was almost too petrified to say anything. "Ah, Syldra. It seems that you've completed all the work on the fourth plan." "You expected less? Of course I have." "Oh ho ho! Everybody knew you could do it! Hana and the others came to say thank you!" Only Hana and Emma came into the building, smiles on their faces. The elderly store owner spoke first. "Thanks to you, we now have a delicious restaurant in town, and a clinic too! Thank you, Syldra." "And it's also thanks to you that Hossan and Niko came back to town, Syldra. They said so!" Dunhill had more to add, his face beaming with pride. "It was your energy that revitalised this town. On behalf of everyone, I want to say how grateful we are." "I'm just glad I could help. My father loved this town for a reason, and now I know why." "We now have all the facilities a proper town needs. It's a great place to live again, as it used to be. And now we want to make it better than ever. Because if it's only like it was before, people might leave again. So everyone talked it over and decided to make the town better still." "That's wonderful news!" Emma stepped forward, still smiling. "After discussing it, we came up with a plan that will make the town better than it's been before."

Syldra couldn't wait to get her teeth into the new restoration plan, so excited was she that Aster had to hold her down from bouncing on the spot. Dunhill cleared his throat softly to get Syldra's attention. "If we can carry out this plan, the town will flourish no doubt about it. Syldra, will you do it for us?" "You don't need to ask, Dunhill." "Thank you Syldra! So I'll give you this. It's the restoration plan that everyone worked on." Syldra took the eagerly, wanting to get started right away. "And one more thing, Syldra. We finished clearing the left side of your farm. Go check it out some time. I believe that the progress of your farm us essential to the development of out town! So please, make full use of it!" "You bet I will!" "I know we can count on you, Syldra. And thank you, truly. It's in your capable hands." With the trio gone, Syldra put the book on the table and opened it for all to see. Zephyr looked a tad uneasy. "This won't be easy. You're to build a bungalow, an exotic mansion, which is almost done. We already have a tailor. A watchtower to keep crime down, a table and garden chairs, a lavish fountain that was just completed. We need 23 residents in town for a snow festival. The yak festival is sorted. The old man wants you to win an advanced class animal festival. And to our knowledge, you've shipped well over 1,000,000G worth of goods. Think we can do it, Syldra?" "Yes, Zephyr. We can if we put our backs into it. Rebecca should have the blueprints we need by morning. Let's get to work guys!" They all would've done just that if Niko hadn't come barrelling in making poor Aster jump half a mile in fright. "Syldra! Your parents are here!"

Syldra and Cryska went to the inn without a second thought. Temujin greeted them in the lobby with a big hug. He looked a little older with both daughters gone. "Look at you! I trust the boys are looking after you?" "Of course daddy." Cryska cooed, snuggling closer to Temujin's chest. "So who stole away my little girl, hm? I don't see her anywhere." Syldra hadn't said anything to her father about Cryska being plucked so neither of them knew what to say. "Come now, I know when a girl has been broken in. You've had a growth spurt, Cryska." "Father, for all you know, she could've been on a special diet whilst with me." Temujin dropped the matter, ruffling Syldra's hair before holding the sisters tightly. "We've missed you both so much." "Where's mom?" Temujin seemed to pale and neither Syldra nor Cryska liked it. "Dad? She's okay, isn't she?" Without a word, Temujin led his daughters up the stairs, stopping outside a door. "Promise you won't be mad at us?" "Why would we be mad at you? What's happened?" In the room Syldra and Cryska saw Karla lying on the bed but she wasn't alone. Close to her chest was a baby. "Dad, you could've just told us you'd adopted a baby." "He's…not adopted, Syldra. Shortly after we left Cryska here with you, Karla found out she was pregnant. We wanted to tell you both about it but…we were also afraid that you'd turn on us. By all rights, Emden shouldn't even be travelling. He…was born two months early just some weeks ago."

Syldra was mad all right. Mad that she hadn't been told about having another sibling on the way. Cryska felt similarly, slapping Temujin hard across the face. He received similar treatment from Syldra. "You should've told us, dad. Why would we turn on you? Emden clearly wasn't planned and we know you'd never replace us. And you've always wanted a son. Honestly, I always dreamed of having a baby brother." "We really are sorry, Syldra. You have so much to deal with already running the farm and rebuilding the town. The last thing we wanted was to burden you further. Dunhill has kept us up to date over the months. When I sent you here, I never imagined you'd play such a big part in bringing this place back to life. Your mother and I are so very proud of you, Syldra. Please forgive our selfishness." Syldra couldn't stay angry at her father, hugging his waist. Karla had been sleeping the entire time, waking up to see her daughters and husband sharing a loving embrace. "Temujin, what's all the noise about?" "Sorry love. Did we wake you?" "No. I was just resting my eyes." "No need to act so tough, Karla. Going into premature labour has weakened you. Get a little more rest. I'll look after Emden awhile." Karla refused to go back to sleep until she'd given her daughters a hug and an apology. Temujin took the fragile infant into his arms and rocked him slowly. Emden currently took more after Temujin with his plum purple hair. "He's got your mother's eyes." "Why'd he come so early?" "We're not sure, Cryska. But it has left your mother very drained. I worry she won't make it to see her next birthday." "Mom won't roll over and die that easy, dad. Stubborn as a mule, she is."

Temujin was glad Cryska had tried to cheer him up. But the girl had not been there at the hospital. She didn't hear the doctor saying that Karla was so weak she'd never be fit again. Cryska hadn't watched her mother struggling to get out of bed or off the couch to cook meals. Karla burst into a painful looking coughing fit, urging Temujin to rub her back soothingly. Concerned, Syldra went to fetch Klaus regardless of Temujin's reluctance. Thanks to Klaus, the sisters discovered that their mother was very sick and not much could be done to help her. All they could do was watch as Karla slowly lost her life in front of them. There was no telling how long she had left but they all prayed Karla would hold on long enough to see one of her daughters marry. Syldra and Cryska couldn't bring themselves to work after that. Every second spent with Karla was precious and they didn't want to waste a single one. Aster stopped by, worried about the sisters being gone for so long. Temujin explained to him outside the room what Klaus had unveiled. Hearing all he had, Aster didn't hesitate to comfort the girls he'd come to see as family. There had to be something that could help Karla. Later that day they all had supper at Clement's restaurant. With Karla unable to walk far she was sat in a wheelchair covered in blankets, Emden tucked close to her breast. In the light of recent events Syldra refused to let her parents travel the long distance home.

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><p>So I never originally intended for Syldra to have a baby brother. It was just an idea I had recently. Same with Karla being on death's doorstep. Things pick up in the next chapter<p> 


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